Stranded
by Radiklement
Summary: AU Where Noctis wasn't chosen by the crystal. Exiled from his home country, Noctis found a place in the Fleuret's army, the only thing standing between Nifelheim and Lucis. In a world of war and betrayals, Noctis must gather allies to lay waste to the empire and also prevent his kingdom from collapsing from the inside. Luna has plans for him, if he's willing to lend her his powers.
1. Prologue

This here is a NoctxLuna story that's been in my head for a while. I shouldn't start it now. Unexpected is still in the works, but I've been receiving a lot of demands for something more explicit. So we will have explicit but tasteful smut… and violence. Not mixed together, thankfully. I don't want to make an overly long story. I won't commit to an update schedule for this one. But I'll give you NoctxLuna and angst in here, with an AU where Tenebrae is the only thing standing between Lucis and Nifelheim. Lunafreya is about 25 and Noctis 21. As a side note, they never knew each other as children. I won't say anything else. Hope you'll like it.

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Stranded

Prologue

" _Either you leave and I never see you again on Lucian's soil…" Ignis stated. "Or I'll fight you until one of us die."_

…

" _I hereby strip the firstborn prince of his title. If you ever set foot inside our walls, we will be forced to erase you from existence. For the attempted murder of the crowned prince, you are now exiled. Be gone," Regis declared, his voice hard, but his eyes broken as he turned his back on his oldest son._

…

 _The citizens followed his departure in mortified silence, until the first piece of rotten food flew through the air and names were called, as the former prince was forced to run from his home, into the wild lands of Lucis. A sharpened stone had left a mark on one shoulder, cutting through the fabric of his dark clothes. The mark was a crescent shape he refused to erase with a potion. It helped him remember where he was coming from, but mostly why he couldn't go back._

…

" _I can't believe you'd try to hurt your own brother. You almost got Gladio…" Iris' voice broke down as she shook her head, tears flowing down her cheeks "I can't even look you in the eyes!"_

…

The memories kept on mixing together, his friends, his family, all turning their back on him, one after the other. His voice was always gone in those awful nightmares, his limited powers stripped from him, leaving him with nothing but the impression of utter failure. The accusations were all false, based on his brother's fears for a throne the firstborn prince had never wanted. He woke up with a gasp, covered in a cold sweat. He'd been lying at the foot of the bed, lulled to sleep by Luna's quiet respiration. He tried to calm down before that she noticed anything. He hated whenever she saw him like this. They had something, something half based on a lie, since he couldn't share his birth name, but something that made it worth having nightmares every few nights.

The rebel princess stirred as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His shoulders were shaking and his hands had turned into fists.

"Cael?"

He flinched at the alias, before to admonish himself. _You're not that man anymore. Not a prince, not a son nor a brother. Get a grip, Noct._

Lunafreya Nox Fleuret rolled herself out of her tangled sheets, her messed-up hair giving her a bewildered look. She walked up to him, her hand cold on his burning skin. He wanted nothing more than to feel her embrace, or better yet, tackle her to the mattress and free the wild emotions he kept hidden deep in his heart. But it felt wrong when the name she called him by was so foreign.

"I'll be fine. Get back to sleep, your highness."

"Don't hide behind my title, Cael. You're more than a simple bodyguard to me."

He knew as much. Simple bodyguards shouldn't sleep at the foot of their protégé's bed. They should watch over their charge's sleep instead. He'd won her trust in a matter of days, instinctively watching after her. She was the head of the rebellion against the empire and his best chance to ever protect Lucis from Nifelheim. If that wasn't enough, she'd help him in a time of need, giving him shelter and food when no one else would have taken in a strange mercenary chased down by imperial MTs. To top it all, Luna was a beautiful woman, a scar running on the left side of her face the only blemish to her ethereal beauty. As fragile as she looked, she packed quite a punch and fought either with her trident or rapier, making it all the harder to protect her on a battlefield.

"Won't you get bored of this in a few months?" he asked her.

"The only thing I plan that far ahead is my troops' advances." She reminded him.

The talk helped calming him down, his fists uncurling and when she took his hand, he squeezed her palm, unable to hide how much he needed those little gestures.

"You don't have to tell me what the nightmares were about. But I think you could use a full night of sleep."

She replaced his hair, gently pushing the locks out of his eyes and as much as he wanted to lean in, he remained perfectly still.

"Don't waste your magic on me. My mind is not sick."

"But you're burdened. And even though it would be much easier for me not to care, I've come to care a great deal. You're more than just a bodyguard. You're my knight, Cael."

Luna's thumbs stroked his wrists, and for a moment he was lost in her clear blue eyes. If he could still belong anywhere, it had to be here, with her, but the lies held him back.

"You're the best thing that has happened to me in a long while," he admitted.

 _And everyone I've loved so far, I've lost or ruined._

"You were hurt in the past. I get that."

He swallowed when her fingers brushed the side of his face.

"I'm afraid I might hurt you now. Because my past… will haunt me unless I manage to clear my name."

She frowned, her hand falling from his shoulder to his fist.

"You mean your real name, don't you?"

"You're better off not knowing." Came the instant reply.

Lunafreya squared her shoulders, her smile replaced by the determined look she had on the battlefield.

"I think I know enough to piece everything together, Caelum."

Her voice stayed warm, but he couldn't begin to process this sudden revelation.

"How… how long have you known?"

"I ran a background check on you. Lucis might have tried to keep the whole story secret, but if I ever lacked information, our rebellion would be long gone already."

He crossed his arms, realizing that instead of relief, he felt betrayed. This secret was already heavy enough on his conscience, but she'd pretend to treat him as a commoner all this time?

"So you know I'm wanted for attempted murder?"

"I also know you were set up. You're too kind to…"

He pushed away her hand, wondering why he felt so angry.

"So you like me because I'm a prince?"

"No."

"Because I'm some pitiful wreck?"

She shook her head the negative once more and Noctis heaved a sigh.

"I went at this the wrong way. You don't like me, period."

"That's a lot of insecurities for a grown man. I never treated people differently because of a title. And I don't pity you. Come over here."

He followed the light tugs on his arms, sitting next to her on her bed, trying to control the various emotions that fought over his heart.

"I recruited you because I needed a strong fighter that could use magic, like me. We fought side by side for the last five months and I trust you with my life. My heart is something else entirely. And I have no idea if I can give you the peaceful life you deserve in the future."

"I don't want promises for a distant future."

The anger was turning into anxiousness and an impatience he had sensed growing inside him before. Luna's hands gripped to his nightshirt, her palms warm through the fabric and he leaned into her, the movement welcomed by a sly smile. There was a glint in her eyes he'd seen once or twice already. A silent promise of unparalleled bliss.

"Then, you can have my present. As long as you don't take me away from my goals."

"I want the empire gone just as much as you do."

Their first kiss was anything but soft. Teeth clanked together, lips already chaffed from the harsh environment, tongues fighting before to find a soothing rhythm. Their lives were constant despair and worrying. He had been running for a few years already and had just regained his full strength, after joining her army. She'd buried her mother and countless soldiers, bringing death more than healing and facing more than one crisis of faith. As much as her people loved her, Lunafreya was revered with fear, since many had fallen for her cause. Maybe was it why she understood his need of belonging somewhere so well. Maybe was it the reason why she clung to him right now.

As her arms closed around him, Noctis let all the rage out, pulling on the knots in her hair, pinning her to the bed, kissing her as roughly as he dared. She ran her nails over his back, underneath his shirt, before to let her hands drift further. She pulled down the waistband of his boxer, not caring if it was a rash decision. His hands had already raised her nightgown and his mouth was on her breasts, alternating between kisses and light bites that made her want to squirm and cry out.

"I don't want… anyone to hear us." She panted out.

"Your wish is my command, princess."

She smiled in the dark, wrapping her fingers around him, testing his resolve. He muffled a moan against her shoulder, his breath catching a bit.

"I wish for more kisses." Luna pleaded.

Noctis obliged her, trying to be gentler this time. She might not be the first girl in his arms, but he'd be damned if he didn't treat her well. Her hands were moving slightly too fast for his reason to stay true and although he knew release was close, he halted her ministrations, raising her wrists on either side of her head.

"There's no haste. The night's still young."

"You prefer passive girls?"

"On the contrary. It's been some time, so your hands won't be enough."

She blushed at that, before to clear her throat awkwardly.

"I feel kind of ashamed for asking, but… It's been more than some time for me."

He kissed the tip of her nose in answer, sliding his hands up her thighs, feeling the tension in every of her muscles.

"Relax, Luna. Tell me what you'd like and where."

His fingers dug into her hips, somewhat gentle in their possessiveness and she let go of her last barriers, decided to enjoy the time they had now. It was almost easy to predict each other moves. They'd partnered up in almost everything else already. And for the first time in years, Noctis had the feeling he belonged. They might be using each other, but at least they shared more than one goal. Taking down the empire and keeping each other safe, sane and happy if possible.

…

The imperials had captured Altissia and were now moving on to Tenebrae. The army raised by Lunafreya had withstood countless raids and managed to keep the over-powered mechs at bay. But today's fight would be different. General Glauca had sworn to take the princess' head back to Iedolas. The empire's advances had been slowed down for decades because of the Fleuret's family. It had to stop with their last heiress, no matter which sort of power she had.

To be continued…

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I know it is short, but I think it's the only way for me to produce a story quickly. Also, I want advice on the direction this story will take. You still haven't heard who Noctis' brother was, but I'm ready to hear your guesses. Also, I had first planned to use Noctis' secret identity as a problem in his relationship with Luna, but it would have been too easy and cliché. So instead, we'll skip the misunderstandings and will go straight to a power couple facing off the world, the dynamic I've grown to love about these two. I know this was pretty soft as smut, but I find it really tough to keep things romantic when it turns purely mechanical. I have some pretty twisted things planned up in here. I hope you like the glimpse I gave you of this story. More will come eventually. ;)

As always, please review to help me improve, advance and mostly, keep up regular updates.


	2. Belated Awakening

I'm really happy about the reactions the prologue had. We have a longer chapter to set things up. I hope the action I wrote won't feel too confusing. I'm struggling with the words a bit today. I wonder how you'll react when you read who's Noctis' baby brother. OwO Have a good time reading.

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Stranded

Chapter 1 – Belated awakening

" _The boy won't learn."_

" _He can't muster any sort of magic."_

" _He's only a child." Regis observed, his hand covering the prince's head._

 _Noctis was trying to stand on his own instead of clinging to his father's pants, but all he wanted was to cower against the king's chest and hide until the other men finished their talk. He had been through the crystal's trials and had failed. He was a mere five years old, his mother gone after giving birth to his baby brother and it was hard to face the disappointment everyone felt when he walked into a room._

" _We must make something out of him."_

 _The boy was too small to learn any fighting style yet. And although he could warp through matter, having inherited some sort of powers from his exposition to the crystal, he couldn't seem to absorb elements, not even when his teachers were nice to him._

 _Regis shuffled his hair, ordering his men to stand down. Noctis tried to control the quiver in his upper lip, but as soon as his father raised him from the floor, he curled into a tight ball._

" _I'm sorry," came his voice through muffled sobs._

" _There's no need to apologize, Noct. I know this might not sound like it right now, but you were blessed, in a sense. It won't be an easy life."_

But there are sacrifice you won't have to make, _his father had surely thought to himself as he stroked his back._

…

Noctis felt anything but blessed. He had been kicked out of his home, chased down by the people he'd called "friend", all because his so-called brother had framed him for something so horrible… If he ever managed to see Ravus again, he might actually murder him.

 _That would be ironic,_ he thought bitterly as he sharpened his blade.

The alarm had resounded early in the morning. Luna had squirmed out of his arms, almost smacking him in the face with her elbow, to retrieve her phone and check the news. Noctis had gathered his clothes, wondering if this night was an exception or a new and durable arrangement. He couldn't help but stare at her as she sat in bed, her skin covering with goosebumps. She was milky white, almost too pale, veins showed here and there. He'd traced their patterns all over her skin, kissing all the little scars, the bumps and imperfections that made her feel more real. He'd never felt this way about a woman before and wanted to pin it on the situation and how vulnerable he'd been ever since he was exiled. But when her eyes caught his staring and she mouthed the words "get your ass over here", he gave up half of his doubts.

This unorthodox princess was a keeper.

"The Nifs have been spotted moving out." She told him. "We'll meet them up as soon as I'm dressed, but I wanted things to be clear."

She tugged on his pants, the young man happy to follow and push her back into bed, half kneeling half straddling her.

"Last night will happen again." Luna stated.

"You didn't need to ask, your highness."

He leaned in for a kiss, only to feel her index on his lips.

"I'll keep calling you Cael in front of the soldiers… Your highness." She warned teasingly.

The title didn't hurt for once, and he wondered if it was her magic working on him or simply the fact she believed him, unlike everyone back home.

"Okay. I guess I should also keep my hands to myself in front of the soldiers, huh?"

"That was heavily implied."

She pulled on his hair to share a brief but passionate kiss with him. As they reluctantly parted, they exchanged a knowing smile. Duty called.

"Now let's be professional. You mind fetching me one of my battle dress?"

He rolled his eyes, wondering if that question could sound professional, considering he was her "knight", but crossed the room and quickly secured the padded uniform she'd wore on their first meeting.

"Why do you even have battle dresses?" he asked.

"Gentiana insisted on making them. Said it was more princess-ish or something."

Luna had put on underwear and was tying up her hair in her signature ponytail when he turned back to her.

"How does a cleavage make you protected?"

"She said that if I'm relying on my clothes to protect me, I'm already dead."

It seemed harsh, but she had a point.

"Well, rely on me out there."

She nodded in agreement, before to clasp her grey cloak around her shoulders.

…

Reaching the village Nifelheim had targeted took them about ten minutes with the train. Keeping control of the railroads hadn't been easy and constant guards were needed. Noctis had actually spend his first month doing that unforgiving job. Now, he was Lunafreya's shadow, following her everywhere she went. And the princess wasn't one to stay idle. She switched between the frontlines and the refugees' camps, either killing MTs and daemons or healing people with her magic. She had collapsed on her feet two times already, Noctis having to carry her to the closest paramedics for a blood transfusion and a few energy shots. He was now able to monitor the state of her strength and keep her from overexerting herself, which was no easy task.

Her face was pale as she saw the columns of smoke coming from the town. After leaping off the train, Luna ordered her soldiers to head a separate way. Noctis could carry her as he warped and get them both into town faster, but they had managed to keep his special ability a secret to the army and she didn't want anyone to worry. Powers like those were the stuff of legend, Lucis refusing to exchange news with the neighboring countries ever since the empire had started expanding.

Any playful banter was gone, Luna attaching her hands around his neck as he wrapped one arm around her waist. The first warping was always the worst. She couldn't understand how he didn't got sick from the speed at which he moved. It took twenty different blurs to reach the village and she didn't have to ask him for the 21th that got them on a roof, from where they could get a better view of the situation.

A single dropship had landed right in the town. MTs burned down houses and citizens ran left and right, cry of pain echoing through the cold morning air.

"What the hell are they doing? This isn't even a strategic…"

"Must be a trap." Noctis warned her.

"Well, I won't know until I'm caught. Let's clear the streets."

They came back down to the street level, Noctis calling off his engine blade while Luna summoned her trident. They got rid of the MTs methodically, the foreign prince warping whenever one machine doll tried to get away from them. He was quick on his feet and always managed to keep an eye on her, although it was barely needed. Lunafreya moved with grace and precision, taking out the Magiteck soldiers three at a time. Her trident followed swift arcs, apparently weightless in her hands. It was a heavy thing, Noctis having spared with her on more than one occasion, he knew it was almost as worse as one of Gladio's buster swords. Luna was strong and she had perfect balance, always using gravity against her foes. And her magic was at work as she laid enemies to rest in her wake, the wounds and cracks in the armor of the imperial's monsters all covered with light.

The girl had been trained early on, after losing her mother to the empire and receiving the protection of a mysterious swordsman simply known as the Immortal. The nickname was familiar to Noctis, but he couldn't tell from where it came from. All he knew was that keeping up with Luna felt worse than any training Gladiolus had ever forced him through. They felled as many MTs, they'd kept count a few times, when the battles were easy, and they almost always came out with a draw.

Noctis didn't care, as long as he could keep her safe. He'd fought on battlefield before, his father talking about making him a marshal in their army if he proved worthy. Which he'd almost been at if it wasn't for Ravus' paranoia and shady tricks. He would have had troops answering to his orders, with either Gladio or Ignis as his right-hand man, and now he was looking for fulfillment on someone else's battlefield.

 _Focus,_ he warned himself.

His relationship with Luna changing and the fact she knew his real name made it harder to keep the memories and resentment at bay. Sometimes he'd wished he could just wipe his memory clean and start over like he pretended to everything he met new people.

They cleared four streets, including the main one, nearing the ship at the center of the village. Luna had managed to infuse order back in the panicked villagers, giving orders for people to subdue the fires while Noctis and her took her of the MTs. The Tenebrae soldiers were joining up, clearing the outer streets of imperial forces and the situation might have gotten under control in a matter of minutes, if it hadn't been for the glint that blinded the princess and her bodyguard a second.

Panic surged all over again as people exclaimed with shriveling voice:

"It's him! It's general Glauca! The demon-man from the empire!"

And sure enough, among the rubbles of the well his ship had crashed in landing, standing tall with a disproportionate sword balanced on his left shoulder, his armor shining as if made of pure crystal, stood general Glauca, the faceless imperial soldier. Noctis quickly summoned a second weapon, ready to tell his charge to stand back. But Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, no matter how much older or more mature than him, had one big fault to her character. She never worried about herself, never fought with her safety in mind, but the safety of her cause, her people and sometimes, the world. It wasn't a surprise that she walked towards the tall man, her head held high, her eyes filled with cold fury.

"Princess of the rebellion," Glauca saluted her. "If you surrender now, the people of Tenebrae will be free of this useless suffering."

"Lies. Like the lies you told my mother."

His chuckle was like a whip cracking against her skin. Noctis had kept up with Luna so far, prepared to warp her away from an assault. She had fought against all sort of enemies, even the MA-Xs and he'd learned not to underestimate her. But if he'd learned anything on his exile, it was to always anticipate the worse. When she used her trident as a lever against the ground, lunging herself forward, Noctis understood this meeting held more meaning than a simple rival army's general trespassing a borderline. And even with warps, he couldn't catch up with her before the first hit connected with the crystal armor.

Lunafreya's trident scratched and screeched against the weird metal, the pikes scrapping out shards of crystal. Glauca retorted by swinging his blade, the shock hurl the princess ten feet backward. She had kept a hold of her trident, the aftershock ringing in her arms, her stance shaken, but her shoulders stiff with determination.

"You're making this pretty easy for me." The general observed.

"Or so you think. Cael!"

She was casting a spell and Noctis responded instantly to the alias, warping forward as a flash of light blinded Glauca. The light enveloped him in his run, melting into the after-images, making him and every of his temporary doubles too bright to look at directly. He was welcomed with a sharp blade slashing the air. Warping himself up, he went over it, thrusting his engine blade at the crystal helmet. Luna got closer as Glauca and Noctis exchanged blow after blow. From this up close, the general couldn't use as much strength, needing to equal his adversary's speed.

"Mercenary bodyguard. House Fleuret has really fallen."

"Save your insults for someone who cares!" Lunafreya warned, her trident hitting his back.

Glauca switched tactic, turning on himself with his blade raised, managing to push back both attackers before to jump high enough to land on his dropship. Noctis needed to catch his breath, but the general didn't stop there, rushing right back for the princess. And as he came down, he threw lightning in the bodyguard's direction. The exiled prince merely managed to evade the shot and sparkles, feeling his boots warming around his feet from the surcharge of power in the air. That spell was quite potent and its radius was growing by the seconds.

Luna was struck by a single spark of lightning but managed to stay upright, raising her trident in self-defense as Glauca send his gigantic sword forward. The trident was too thin to stand as a barrier, merely making the blade bounce off course.

There was a cracking sound and Noctis saw blood as the princess fell to one knee, looking for her breath. A gash ran along her left arm, strays of blond hair flying and when Glauca raised his sword once more, the young raven-haired man lost it. His skin burned and his heart was swelling and quivering at the same time, but he couldn't worry about it, or about the electricity gathering in his fist and running over the edge of his weapons. He had vowed to protect this woman and if there was one thing he wouldn't fail in his miserable life, it had to be this.

He warped-strike Glauca, his engine blade almost roaring with energy. The magic surged from his fingers, his eyes turning red and the crystal on the armor shattered with the first contact of steel. It had happened too fast for the general to move. The cracks ran from his back to his chest, Luna noticing the opening despite the fight she waged against herself to stay conscious. The cut on her arm was deep, her limb hanging limply at her side and it took some maneuvering to raise her trident quickly enough with only one hand. But the spikes reached up, the silver soon covered with blood. The result was instantaneous. Glauca kicked off her trident, swatting Noctis backward with his sword, before to retreat to his ship. His MTs had been taken out and the pair of fighters had proved more of a challenge than expected.

"Don't think this is a victory, princess." He called out before to kick off the dropship engine, the door closing on his bloodied armor as the ship lifted itself into the air.

Dust and dirt raised from the ground and they both coughed until the air cleared. Luna tried to push herself to her feet, only to feel Noctis' hands reaching for her as he dropped to his knees.

"What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't…" she sighed, unable to complete her sentence.

Her bodyguard was already checking her wounds and she wanted to give him some treatment, noticing a cut on his forehead and many bruises through his torn-up clothes.

"Easy, that arm's broken, your highness." He added as an afterthought, noticing the rebel soldiers walking up to them.

"Cael, stop worrying over me. Just help me stand up. We need to make sure the town is…"

"Lady Lunafreya." Biggs called out. "Wait until you're fixed up to intervene."

She felt guilty for her rash actions, slowly realizing why she'd jump into battle against the demon-man. Her entire body shivered and Noctis focused on her wound, coating the gash with potions to stop the bleeding and clean the potential impurities from her blood. She gasped, but gritted her teeth and ordered Biggs to check on the villagers, while Wedge would make sure no MTs were left. The rest of the men quickly took control of the situation, all knowing she was in good hands.

"What's wrong?" Noctis asked her.

"I know this was inconsiderate of me. Rushing into battle against such a man."

"He seemed to expect it. And you mentioned your mother…" he whispered, before to replace her bones in one swift motion.

She bit into her right hand to stifle her cry of pain, accepting the elixir he gave her and gulping down the content, knowing it would course through her system and mend her broken bone.

"Cael… You've noticed that you just made some kind of magic just now?"

He didn't know what to think of it. His warps had gotten more precise as he grew up, but canalizing elements and unleashing them into a potent spell had never been possible for him before.

"We can worry about that later. Luna, what compelled you into…"

"He killed my mother." She breathed out, trying to keep her voice cool and her face cold.

Noctis saw the shiver in her eyes, the fear and the hatred mixing together. He knew that impression. In the darkest part of his heart, he held Ravus responsible for their mother's death. He'd told his brother once, only once, and he'd regretted it dearly, but the idea of Luna wanting to take revenge. Her mother had died before her very eyes, the girl escaping the traumatic experience with her life. Anyone else would have asked for revenge in face of the murderer.

"I shouldn't have done this. Vengeance won't protect my people." She muttered to herself.

Her hair looked strange, with the short locks from Glauca's last attack and the long ponytail that hanged on the right side of her head. He wanted to touch her face, to wrap his arms around her, but he was already acting too familiar with her. So instead, he slipped one arm behind her shoulders and the other one under her thighs, raising her in his arms, bridal-style. She didn't protest, calling off her trident to facilitate his job as he carried her to a safer spot. The fires had all been controlled, if not extinguished and the citizens were receiving instructions from the soldiers, about standing guard, sending warning more efficiently and potential relocation.

Noctis had spotted a bench in front of the inn and was taking a few detours to make sure they steered clear of people in need.

"Luna, you've been seriously hurt. Don't push yourself."

"I'm all healed. I should be checking on the people."

"You'll fix them in a moment. Focus on your breathing."

She hid her face against his dark chest-plate for an instant, trying to calm down her ragged breathing. When he sat her down, she almost clung to him, needing the warm feeling of his arms, the sound of his heart close to her ear. But instead, she ordered him to stand guard while she gathered her senses, closing her eyes a long time and collecting all the self-control she could muster. Noctis stood back, his hands still burning from the lightning he'd called and casted, his heart a mess and his mind filled with questions. Was Glauca going to prove a problem? They'd barely managed to land a hit and he had no idea if he could pull off another magic spell. Luna had been in danger, and his mind had turned blank. If it was the sort of incentive he needed, he'd rather not have powers at all.

…

Regis was sitting in his throne room, his fingers drumming against the throne's armrest. The room was almost empty, except for his shield, Clarus Amicitia standing to his right, and his first councilor, Ardyn Izunia standing at the center of the room. The purple haired man was shifting from one leg to another, clearly trying not to burst in whistles or jokes. They'd been waiting for fifteen minutes and still…

"I think we should call this meeting off, your highness" Izunia observed after clearing his throat.

"Drautos knew this was an important occasion." Clarus observed.

"If he was simply delayed, he would have found a way to contact us, don't you think?"

Regis nodded, holding back a sigh. His army had taken a bad hit recently, with soldiers defecting after the massive attack on the north wall by a pack of enraged behemoths. Behemoths never travelled in pack, but it seemed the world was changing. Drautos' absence meant their initiatives for a new branch of operatives wouldn't advance. Insomnia needed protection and his wall wouldn't hold on forever. Heck, if Noctis had been here, he'd have someone to put in charge of the Glaives. Ravus was too precious to put in such a delicate position.

" _We need to mobilize Galhad's people. Their district was almost destroyed, but they managed to push back the behemoths. Their fighters would be invaluable."_

Those were the words Izuna had repeated for the last few months.

"We need a head for their flock. Is Gladio back to his feet?" Regis asked to his long-time best friend.

"He's guarding the crown prince, your highness. I don't think it would be a good idea to…" Clarus started before to be interrupted by Ardyn.

"Can't Scientia guard his highness? The boy has the crystal powers... Moreover, I'll be keeping a close eye on your heir. You have nothing to fear, my king." He then turned to Clarus, something in his washed-up eyes changing almost imperceptibly. "The prince's shield hasn't been through his trials yet. Leading the Glaives could be a first step."

Gritting his teeth, the king's shield turned to Regis.

"The decision is up to you."

"Call your son. We need this tactical team. It won't be long before the empire reach our door. I want the unrest in our kingdom dealt with before then."

To be continued….

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So then, pretty much everything is set. We still have to hear of Prompto, because he's going to be included in the fic, but otherwise, pretty much everyone else has been mentioned. Any questions, suggestions or comments?

The length of every chapter will remain pretty short and it might change. I will try to have fluff in every chapter, if possible. Also, my update might not be as quick as this one. And I will focus on Unexpected first. I just like having a really aggressive Luna that has no qualm killing because it's been her reality for a long time. This chapter felt as though the roles were a bit reversed between Noctis and Luna, since she's rash and he only think of keeping her safe. But I love giving them different dynamics. I hope you liked this. Every feedback is welcome.


	3. Three kinds of fire

Well, I was hoping to finish a chapter for Unexpected and decided instead to try myself at some really shameless smut (I mean for real this time) and fluff instead. With angsty flashback to top it all. I'm glad you like this story so far and I hope you'll like this chapter. I'm trying something new and I hope I kept it tasteful, although the M rating stands here for a good reason.

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Stranded

Chapter 2 – There are three kind of fire

 _It had started with fire. For reasons Ravus had never been able to explain, fire was harder to gather and command. He could rain any room with thunder and lightning. He loved storms above anything else, playing out in the rain despite his father's and maid's recommendations. He liked getting back inside, his hands cold, his head fresh and clear from a downpour. Sitting in front of the chimney and its blazing fire always scared him. He'd rather wrap himself in a blanket. And when it came down to using magic, fire proved traitorous for the crown prince. Noct had been supportive during the first few years. Of course, he would understand his failings. He could barely warp from point A to B._

" _Did you burn your hands again?" his elder brother would ask, cautious of not gathering anyone's attention._

 _The 11 years old boy would nod in shame, almost imperceptibly. Noctis was good at dressing wounds. At 15, the dark-haired prince had been in over a hundred battles, be it to protect his younger brother against desperate civilians, facing terrorist assaults on the palace or foiling kidnapping attempts of either of the heirs. Gladiolus was Ravus' shield, but the crown prince wasn't exactly easy to follow. He was independent and liked to learn things from himself, no matter in how much danger that put him. He had refused to have teachers for magic, preferring to perfect his powers on his own. He hated exposing his failures._

" _You should teach me which salve works best instead of…"_

" _And letting you get hurt without anyone learning of it? In your dreams…"_

 _Noctis was always looking out for him. Ravus couldn't help but wonder if it was out of brotherly affection, or for his own sake. As a crownless prince, mocked by the people, barely acknowledged by most of the servants, but still older and physically stronger, Noct had every reason to want him dead. Ardyn had warned him often enough. And their father always seemed to prefer his first born. Was it because he looked less like their mother and didn't remind him of his deceased wife every time he looked into his eyes? Or because the crystal hadn't chosen him, which meant every quality he had, Noctis had earned through blood and sweat?_

 _Ravus still followed his brother into the adjoined bathroom to his quarters, his hands throbbing from the burns. Noctis pulled him up, so he'd sit on the vanity, refusing to hear any protestation._

" _How many crystals did you use?"_

" _No more than 20."_

 _Turning his right hand to check his palm, Noctis winced at the sight of charred flesh. The skin was raw, dark in places. His eyes were hard when they looked back into his brother's irises._

" _I'm not stupid, Rav." He growled, cleaning both wounded palms before to apply the healing salve._

" _Sometimes I wish you were," the boy sighed, gritting his teeth._

 _Noctis worked fast, wrapping his hands in cooling bandages in a matter of seconds._

" _Maybe you should refrain on the fire. You don't have to master all the elements in order to…"_

" _Of course,_ you _would say that." Ravus mocked him, jumping down the vanity._

 _Noctis' shoulders tensed at his tone, but his patience held until Ravus went on, his fool mood getting the better of him._

" _You're free like a bird. No magic, no pre-designed path. If your blood wasn't defective, maybe I could snob the fire and…"_

 _Defective. That word had been used so many times to define the first-born prince. His hands turned to fist, but he cut off his brother. He wouldn't lash out. He was older, supposed to give the good example despite all the glares exchanged, despite all the venom poisoning both of their hearts._

" _Sometimes, I don't even know why I put up with you…" Noctis observed, motioning his head towards the exit._

 _And beneath the feigned disdain on his face, Ravus felt the same worry lashing at his heart. Of walking down the same path as his brother. Of being as unworthy as him. Not even worth Noctis' attention or care. The boy was a mass of insecurities deep down. He knew what his birth had caused to the kingdom and their family. He had left their mother too weak to survive. Carried a burden heavier than anything Regis had faced, despite countless attacks from the empire. And when he felt threatened, Ravus closed himself to the threat and attacked right back._

" _Because you're not worth anything else. You failed in everything that mattered."_

 _The slap rang like a whip, sending the younger prince to his knees. Ravus' hands throbbed so hard, he couldn't hold back his gasp of pain as he caught himself. Noctis had never raised a hand on him before, never outside of gentle tumble and play._

" _Is that how you say thank you?"_

" _Is that how you fix a wound?!"_

" _You think this is a serious injury? You think you know anything about pain?"_

 _Ravus should have realized how dangerous the situation was. But he was enraged by the disrespect._

" _Want to teach me a lesson, fake prince?"_

 _He raised to his feet, his hands clenching, the bandages feeling too tight against his smarting flesh._

…

 _The dispute was old, but Ravus remembered how it had ended. Ignis and Gladiolus had had to separate them as bitter words turned into hurtful insults or worse, half-truths the royal family kept buried most of the time. Noctis had never offered to dress any of his wound since then. And now, the memories vividly gnashed at his heart. His wrist itched and burned. The fire had escaped his call, as he practiced before his first lesson of magic to the newly appointed Glaives. The magic had warped, had grown and almost blown into his face. His right arm was burned, the worst of it on his wrist and he desperately wanted to keep it a secret. Because there was no place for failure now._

" _You should get someone to look after it." The first councilman murmured, making him jump. He had been alone for the entire lesson, he would have sworn so. But turning around, his sword materializing in his hand, he saw Ardyn Izunia, standing in the magic parlor with him._

" _When did you…?"_

" _I had the intuition someone needed my help. It seems your magic is growing unstable… Once again."_

 _Ravus colored at the accusation. Ardyn might be the only one conscious of his struggles with fire magic. Struggles he had mastered as he grew up and that were suddenly back._

" _It's not…"_

" _I heard your older brother recently visited one of your ancestors' grave. We wouldn't think he'd collect a royal arm, it is your heritage as the chosen king… But then again, what is to be expected of a prince without a future?"_

 _Ravus frowned at the news. Could Noctis even collect a royal arm? And if he did, would that disrupt his powers?_

" _It shouldn't change anything."_

 _Ardyn nodded, his lips pinched in a thin smile._

" _But you know how to make sure nothing changes. I told you before. Noctis will become a danger to you and your crown. He's not a boy anymore. Now he's a man, and he wants any sort of recognition he can have. He stopped caring about what it could mean for you long ago."_

 _And the kicks and punches exchanged after that slap, years ago, were all still fresh in the prince's mind. All proofs of Izunia's suppositions. Not to mention the harsh words Noctis had had for him in every of their following disputes. The guy hated him. Not that Ravus could blame him. It was perfectly reciprocal._

…

"I don't know how I did it." He insisted.

Luna was dead set on having him practice his magic. They were back in her manor and she had taken him to a garden that usually stayed locked.

"It was a spur of the moment action, that much is clear." She observed, moving with purpose, her recently healed arm stiff at her side.

She should have been getting some rest, not worrying about him and he sure as hell didn't want to try himself at magic.

The garden was surrounded by high walls covered with vines or lichen, the inner soil showcasing rows of syleblossoms. Most were a deep blue, but a few had silver petals. A rock imbued with shards of fire elements stood in the center of the garden. His face darkened at the sight. Here was the moment when he started disappointing her.

"It won't work."

"I don't care if it works or not. I just want you to test it out."

Noctis tried to control the anger and dreadful impression that were slowly taking over his heart.

"Of course you care. Magic swordsmen are hard to come by."

"I think the crystal might have been a bit harsh on you. And the feat you managed earlier is way harder than absorbing magic for crystal. My great grandfather liked to watch over the fire shards, but I'll never be able to manipulate something else than light. I'd be quite conceited to think any less of you if it doesn't work."

It was almost harder to admit she'd identify his worries perfectly than to raise one hand to call on the magic that never answered to him. He had heard a dozen variants of what he was supposed to think and feel to make fire bend to his will. And he remembered how hard magic had been to master for Ravus, back in the days they still talked.

"Maybe you should stand a few steps back. Just in case something goes wrong…"

Lunafreya rolled her eyes, but took two steps back, a smile tugging at her lips. He was always putting her security first. It was almost frightening how much she'd come to rely on him in such a short time. She held her breath as he finally tugged at the magic. She'd always perceived something different in his aura, but she wouldn't mention it. She was already freaky enough as it was, with her oracle powers and rash decisions.

Noctis' attempt wasn't resolute like when he'd been a child. He wasn't hoping for a result. So when the shards' glow faltered, he blinked, his breathing quickening at the idea something might have really changed. Red orbs raised in the air, following his influence. He turned his hand around, eyes widening as the globes twirled in answer. He had to be hallucinating. The electric shock he'd been through might have fried some of his nerves. But he tugged and pulled and the magic surged till it dove into his palm, warm instead of burning.

"How the f…"

"On the first try!" Luna congratulated him. "Do you need a flask or…?"

"No, it's…"

He flexed his fingers experimentally, calling forth a small flame, enough to light a candle and extinguishing it almost instantly.

"I can hold it in." His voice was incredulous, but the excitation slowly won over as he dared look up to her.

She'd never seen him smile that much before and felt her heart flutter in reaction. She didn't want to burst his bubble, she hadn't excepted it to work on the first try, but she had to remain practical about their future situation, once he'd use magic on the battlefield.

"Using flasks would make you more believable to the other soldiers."

"I guess I can… try to mix the fire into a flask. It's just… I've tried a hundred times before and always failed. Why is it working now?"

"Maybe because you were in a situation where you needed it. Not to impress people or claim something, but to protect yourself."

The reply instantly came to his mind. _To protect you._ But he was afraid of admitting deep feelings. Belonging somewhere was really new to him and he didn't want to ruin things.

"Can I have your hand for an instant?" he asked, inspired.

Luna gave him her right hand, clearly curious about his intentions. He simply held it for an instant, with the hand holding the magic, almost hesitant at first, before to let his fingers travel up her arm.

"It works. And it's even stable." He mused.

"Were you thinking I would get a burn?" she asked, feigning shock.

"I hoped you wouldn't. It'd be a crime to damage your beautiful skin."

It was the princess' turn to look incredulous. She'd never thought her skin beautiful, with how pale and transparent it was. But Noctis seemed fascinated by her and she felt her face heating up despite all her efforts.

"Do you have naughty plans for tonight, dear knight?"

The nickname had an undeniable effect on him. If he'd listen to himself, Noctis would have backed her up against a vine-eaten wall and kiss her silly. He'd want to wrap his arms around her from the moment Glauca had drew blood from her. But he refrained himself to a promising smirk, squeezing her hand in his.

"Not tonight, exactly. You need rest from today's fight. But I have a few things in mind."

"Now you've piqued my interest."

She tugged on his arm, their eyes perfectly aligned as she closed the distance between them. Instead of going in for a kiss, Luna whispered into his ear.

"I'll decide when I need rest. And this place is far enough from the manor… No one would hear us."

The sudden closeness and the tone of her voice jolted him awake. And slightly aroused too.

His brain tried to control his body just a few seconds longer, to consider if a meeting had been planned, if either of them was expected anywhere. Then his eyes scanned the garden another time, for dark spots where someone or something could lurk. He noticed a bench that looked a bit too hard, spots of grass that might cushion the ground, but nothing adequate.

"You locked the gates?"

She nodded, unable to hold back her smile at his first concern. He seemed ready to voice more, but she had gripped his collar and linked their lips. It was a bit careless, but they were still fresh from the battlefield. People had died on both sides, casualties that reminded them of how fragile life could be. They'd supported each other in the past with mere looks, but a line had been crossed the other night. As good as it'd been, they both needed more. She reached up for his neck, wincing as the movement woke the pain in her arm.

"If we do this here, you'll be even sorer." He warned her.

"I'm always sore. Kiss me." She ordered back, messing up his hair.

Noctis happily relented, undoing the clasp of her dark cloak to better reach the back of her dress. Their kisses were heated now, lips pulling and nibbling, all soft and wet desire. Her hands toyed with his clothes, undoing buttons, tugging at his belt. He let her skirt fall, gripping her thighs and raising her in the air, her legs wrapping around his waist instantly. Her top might take more work, but he freed one breast from her cleavage, pinching her nipple before to gently trace it with one finger.

"Don't drop me." She pleaded.

"There better not be bugs in those vines," he retorted, cutting her new kiss short to regain his bearing and take a few steps toward the nearest wall.

He was a little rough as he leaned her against the wall, his jacket given up in the middle of her garden, letting go of her breast to shrug off his shirt. Her hands blazed trails of fire all over his torso, nails grazing, hips arching. There was blood on her corset, dried blood on her stomach as her top fell. The sight almost sent him into a rage, but he focused on her instead, pulling her closer to keep her warm as she slowly entangled her legs from him. The friction felt good, but the barrier between them was becoming almost unbearable.

"Can you stand on your own?"

"You're not that…"

His lips closing on one nipple shut her up, her hands gripping to his shoulders as her feet barely touched the ground. The cold air on her skin made her shiver and it mixed up with the tremors of pleasure she felt, slowly building a desperate ache.

"Noct…" she breathed out.

He switched to her other breast, pulling her pants down to her ankles. He had been a lot more talkative last night, almost asking permission for every gesture. And now he was making sure the most sensitive spots were clear in his mind, reviewing her with the tip of his fingers. And his tongue. She tried not to wonder when he'd developed his skills at all of this. No use worrying about the past when she could give herself up to the present.

"Talk to me."

"You'll catch a cold if we keep at it too long," he objected.

"I can heal a…"

His fingers parted her open before to slip inside, toying with her nerves. A circle, a curve, was it one or two of them? Three and his thumb kept the pressure as his fingers curled and circled again, she could barely keep track, her thighs tensing and her hips trying to move over his hand.

"This isn't fair…" she moaned.

"Let me hear you, Luna."

His voice was rough with need and she wanted to wrap herself around him, to move with him, to share this bliss. The pain in his eyes was almost a comfort, but she wanted it gone, she wanted…

"I can barely stand."

"I got you, just let it out. No one else will hear you."

And somehow, she understood it wasn't pure selfishness. It wasn't only about seeing a side of her no one else did. He wanted to please her more than anything, because meeting people expectations had always been denied to the exiled prince. The shudders were getting too close and she held on to him, one hand reaching for his wrist, her face sinking against the crook of his shoulder as climax reached her core. It was a strong one and her cry was anything but fake. But no matter how much she tried to let it out, she still held back. Surrendering entirely was frightening and she was already beyond vulnerable. But she trusted him. He let her ride out the waves of orgasm, holding her up, his fingers still teasing her.

"I want you this time." Luna managed as she looked for her breath.

"Up against the wall?"

And she wanted to thank him for being considerate, but fairness came first and she'd be damned if things ended with just that, no matter how good she felt.

"Now." She insisted, tugging at his waistband.

She kissed him once more, half on the lips, half on the chin since he raised her up without warning. Her left leg wrapped around him and soon he was deep inside her, his arms straining to keep her where he needed her. Luna held him close, clenching her muscles to break his rhythm when she didn't meet his hips head on. His face hid in her neck, his breathing heavy and his jerks growing slightly erratic. The leaves in her back weren't as warm as his skin on her, as the hand that steadied her, or the very feel of him. Hard and soft. Completing her.

"Look at me, Noct."

He gasped at the touch of her hand, pinning her against the wall hard enough for the still intact leaves to crack. One fell on his shoulder and she pushed it away, before to stroke his hair.

"Let me see… your eyes."

It was no order this time, but he complied, their shaky breath mingling as their forehead touched. There was something desperate in his dark blue eyes, his heart open as she opened up for him. Release might come, but he needed more. And she wanted more. Could they be _more_ for each other? Words couldn't begin to explain how it felt, but it was the first time Luna knew. This man was more precious than she'd thought at first. This man could undo her with a simple look. And as he came undone in her arms, Noctis admitted to himself he'd made a terrible mistake. He loved her enough to let her see everything she might see. He simply loved her and could have snatch her away if his principles let him. The words were stuck in his throat, he worried she could see them in his eyes.

They blinked at the same time, a knowing smile growing on both of their face as they remained like this for an instant.

"I don't think I can stand on my own." Lunafreya sighed.

"I don't think I can either."

To be continued…

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Well then, I stayed up freaking late to write this, before it took me some time to manage the right way to angle this. It might feel rushed or intense, but Noctis and Luna are always going to be in intense situation in this. And they desperately need each other to get through it all. Let me know what you think. Next chapter will come out eventually, but not before I manage to finish Unexpected's chapter 34. ;) Know that reviews are the best way to have me updating faster, despite school, work and real life.


	4. Recruiting danger

So yeah, there was a lack of update lately because I was focusing on Unexpected. It might stay this way, but I decided to produce a new chapter in this story. So that I could unwind a bit. Which mean smut is there. I hope you'll like this chapter. 😉

I'd just like to remind you the 4 years gap between Ravus and Noctis for the flash back sequence. Ravus is 6 in there. Can you imagine what kind of brat he might have been in his real life? Except for that, we have more NoctLuna and the apparition of a new character.

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Stranded

Chapter 3 – Recruiting danger

 _Noctis sighed as he looked down at his plate. Regis and Ravus were both late. The first was held back by the council, while the second was putting some extra-time on his magic. The 10 years old prince felt left out, which was becoming the usual lately. He hadn't seen his father in the last week. He didn't really want to see his brother after the fight they'd got in the other day. Iris had been taking Rav's side the whole time too. They were thick as thieves._

 _Ignis stood a few feet behind him, his back against the wall. The 12-year-old was already more serious than Gladiolus Amicitia, but it didn't mean Noctis didn't worry about the moment when his bodyguard would stop looking after him to become advisor for Ravus. Gladiolus had to serve the crown prince as a Shield, like his father protected the king. But thanks to the delicate situation, Noctis was also in need of a bodyguard, a role fallen to the thin Scientia._

" _Did you receive any message from them?" Noctis asked, not even turning his head around._

 _Silence answered him for the first few minutes following his question. And then, as though thinking better than giving the silent treatment to the first-born prince, Ignis sharp voice came._

" _Nothing, your highness. Maybe you shouldn't keep on waiting to start. The food will get cold."_

 _But Noctis eyed the vegetable stew angrily. Cold or warm, he wouldn't care for that dish. The only saving grace would be to eat it with his family. If it could still be called this. The doors opened to reveal a pissed off Ravus, closely followed by Gladiolus and a maid. The blond boy sat down in his usual place, facing the king's seat, his eyes grazing Noctis as he refused to acknowledge his presence._

 _A plate of warm stew was brought up to the crowned prince and he attacked his meal ravenously, while Noctis forced himself to wait. No word was exchanged between either boy. In fact, no word was spoken until Regis finally walked into the room, making Ravus jump from surprise. The king looked too serious for dinner and sat down hurriedly._

" _Noctis, Ravus. Sorry for being late."_

" _I just got here." Ravus declared without a second thought._

" _Anything the matter?" Noctis asked._

" _No, only the usual meeting running late. How about you boys tell me about your day?"_

 _Regis was trying, but keeping his kingdom in order and being a father wasn't exactly easy._

" _I'm changing class tomorrow." Ravus said, careful of talking right as Noctis was opening his mouth to say something. "I've mastered the bases of elemancy."_

" _That's wonderful, son. You've improved quite fast. I'll have to get a session scheduled to see your progress for myself. How about you take a break tomorrow?"_

" _Sounds good," the boy answered with a genuine smile._

 _Noctis fought against the anger and jealousy he felt. Regis couldn't take the time to check any of his progress. He was too much of a failure to even warrant this sort of attention._

" _What about you Noct?" Regis asked._

" _Oh, school and rehab mostly. I… I did a pretty good run. I think I could get back to training."_

 _Regis seemed hesitant, while Ravus scoffed, not even trying to hide his disdain. Talking about Noctis' injury made him feel ashamed in truth. If it hadn't been for him, his brother wouldn't have to get hurt so badly._

" _The training you have in mind would put a strain on your body. You're still growing. Leave it one more year, maybe two."_

 _Noctis held back his father's worried gaze, hoping he'd understand why he needed to train._

 _I wasn't strong enough then, but I don't want to be helpless again, he thought._

" _I really don't know what you're complaining about. If I could laze about in rehab…"_

" _Ravus!"_

" _He's already rid of his cane. Shouldn't that be enough?"_

" _Are you done with the food, Ravus?" Regis shot back, expressing his discontentment with the mere inflection of his voice._

 _The crown prince almost jumped out of his chair._

" _Yeah, I'm done." He made a mocked reverence as he whispered a salute in turn for both royals still sitting at the table: "Father… first-born."_

 _The child walked out so fast, he was almost running, and Gladiolus didn't take the time to salute his highness, rushing after him. The king heaved a sigh, addressing a silent prayer to the Astrals to help Ravus grow into a more sensible man. Noctis forced down the biggest chew of stew he could gather, hoping the taste and texture would help him forget how much that nickname hurt._

" _Noctis…"_

" _It's okay. He's still a child." The young boy offered._

 _Cutlery cluttered and the dark-haired prince wondered if he'd say something wrong too. A shuffling of feet followed and when he looked up from his plate, Noctis realized his father was standing next to his chair, his hand reaching for his right shoulder._

" _You are a child. You shouldn't be going through rehab and the training should wait until you're 14."_

 _For an instant, the son wanted nothing more than to hide in the man's arms, like he did before… before Ravus._

" _I messed up everything else. You know I'm good with a sword. The only thing I can do is warp around, but at least…"_

 _His father's hand ruffled his hair._

" _I'll talk with your physicist. I'm sure Ignis can design a training schedule that won't do you more harm than good. But there's no need to compete with your brother."_

 _Noctis smiled at that, that sad smile that he usually kept for when he watched pictures of his mother or read the rare letters she'd written for him._

" _If I don't stay one step above him, he'll never strive to do better."_

" _I wish you were less grown-up sometimes. But I'm lucky to have you, Noct."_

And those words still hurted up to this day. Knowing how far from lucky Regis had felt in the last moments they'd shared as father and son.

…

Noctis was slightly shocked from the sudden powers manifesting in him. He didn't know how they were even possible. He had a thousand questions running around in his head, and Luna might have been the right person to ask, in another life. She was far too busy to dive into her mother's book or to recall the lessons she went through years ago. The Lucis' line used to have an alliance with the Fleuret. And if his grandfather Mors hadn't cut off any communication with them, Lunafreya might have prepared herself to serve his brother Ravus as the Oracle. Dreadful thoughts.

Lately, the princess' bodyguard was doing his best to keep up the pretenses whenever people showed around. Gentiana was on to them and had let him understand that if anything bad happened to her protegee… Well, the way she talked, facing the dead penalty back home was a walk in the park. Gentiana's name sounded like the worse choice her parents could have made. She was anything but gentle.

"A new recruit has raised some doubts. Apparently, it's an imperial runaway." The white-skin woman declared as Luna asked if anything new had happened during their last mission.

They'd destroyed an empire camp, bringing their front line further away from Tenebrea's province. Soon, they'd be in Nifelheim territory. The fights had lasted a few days instead of weeks, both royals using their magic, Noctis giving capsule of fire to soldiers, pretending they had a new furnisher for weapons. He had yet to gather any other elements, but it wasn't as though the imbued stones ran all over the country. The couple needed a breather, Luna barely out of a shower and back in military garbs, Noctis still dirty from the battlefield.

"From the sound of it, you're determining how you want to have him killed. I'll meet him first." The princess decided.

Noctis rolled his eyes, unable to believe the risks she was taking. But he knew better than to oppose her. Instead, he followed her out to the recruiting grounds. As the doors closed behind them, Luna threw him a brief glance.

"You disagree with this idea, don't you?"

"It wouldn't be the first time that an imperial runaway tries to get to you. I don't mean to say they're all fanatics, but… We've seen how that usually turned out."

"I used to talk to them before you showed up. And besides, you have my back, don't you, Cael?"

The borrowed name sounded wrong since they'd gotten closer, but he simply groaned the affirmative and followed her. Half an hour of hearing the latest news from an excited Biggs, they reached the recruiting grounds. The suspicious recruit was a lanky man, all nerves and bones, his spiky hair blond as wheat. He sported a goatee that couldn't have been allowed for a soldier and his clothes were a mix of a ragged white uniform under a dark leather suit. He had light freckles and dark bag under his eyes. Something about him looked sick and Noctis couldn't tell if it was the blood vessels in his eyes or the little twitches that made one of his legs jump.

"Wow, the princess of the rebellion herself. Now I can die in peace."

"I hope you didn't come all the way here to die." Luna retorted.

"Either way, my life is in your hands. Who's that grumpy shadow?"

"I'm asking the questions here, mister… Quicksilver? Are you walking out of a comic or something?"

She was checking his file, Noctis keeping a close eye on him.

"I gave up my tags," he declared, raising his left hand to show them a burned wrist. "And I was hoping to start over fresh."

"By joining a different army?" Lunafreya insisted.

"I didn't choose to be in the empire or to fight for them. They made me do awful things." The elusive blond explained.

"It says here that you're a sniper."

"Started at 8. I can hit any target you want me too."

"Why would I take you in?"

"I'd heard you give a chance to every poor soul. I can tell you of a tearjerker story, but I'd rather not get too emotional with an audience, I'm sure bro there wouldn't like it."

Noctis let his glare intensify, disliking the defector even more.

"Qui… No, forget it, I can't call you Quicksilver. It's sound too impersonal." Lunafreya complained.

"Prom is fine then, my lady. I'll give you this as an explanation: I was staying with the empire for my mother's sake. The money was supposed to be good enough to keep her safe, but she died about two weeks ago. So… I took off. It's not easy getting hired as a hunter in these parts, especially with the clothes I wear."

He seemed like a joker, but there was something broken in his eyes as he mentioned his mother and Luna had seen countless men lying before. That story was real.

"How do you feel about the empire? Is it just because of what happened with your mother?"

His whole face darkened and the smirk faded out.

"Do you have a recent newspaper around? Heard of their labs blowing up two weeks ago?"

Luna nodded, Noctis shifting his weight, shoulders too tensed.

"That was me giving my resignation. I don't think you could ever hate them as much as I do."

The man sounded a bit unstable. The exiled prince had to fight against his instincts not to grab Luna and drag her out of the interview tent. The oracle squared her shoulders, as she went on:

"That's really dark, Prom. But volunteers are always welcome. You'll be on try for the next three weeks. I'll have someone over to show you to the showers. A physical inspection will be done."

"Again? How much patting must we go through in that army?" He asked teasingly, clearly holding back on a dirty joke.

But from the look on Noctis' face, he knew better than to disrespect the princess.

"You certainly understand that we need to take precautions. You still get to eat real food and to sleep under a roof. I'll see you again in one week."

"Thanks for having me around. I hope wall-man will talk on our next encounter."

"Don't push your luck, Quicksilver," Noctis warned as Luna got out of the tent.

"I like to play with fire. And from the look of it, so do you, bro."

His eyes darted to the tent's opening, making Noctis wonder if he was this obvious. He had been keeping a professional expression all along, emulating Ignis' usual look to the best of his memories.

"Don't call me that. It's Cael."

"Sure. See ya around… bro."

…

"I think this is a bad idea." Noctis told her as they finally got back to her room.

"And I think that guy is lost and hurt and hiding under all the jokes and jabs. Countless lives were destroyed by the empire, in a dozen ways. I've asked Gentiana to look up into his story. We'll know if he lied in a matter of days."

Noctis shrugged off his coat.

"I don't want to fight over this, I'm just stating my opinion. Now, could you stay put for twenty minutes?"

"It's true that you need a shower. Want some help?"

They hadn't really been alone together in the last weeks, but Noctis raised one brow.

"You just want to get my mind off that…"

"I want to get both of our minds off. Unless you want some privacy."

"And pass up on you naked?" he shot back with a smirk.

"Well, I'm not taking anything off until you are clean," she warned him as they walked into her bathroom.

She wasn't so concerned about taking off _his_ clothes, but Noctis didn't complain, pulling her into a kiss as she undid his belt, tasting the smile on her lips. Her hands were soft on him, despite the tension he felt in her, echoing with his own.

His pants hit the floor first, followed by everything else, his shirt actually going last, because parting from his mouth was a feat after holding back for so long. When he was finally stark naked, she took a step back, looking him over, pretending she was asserting the damages. But the glint in her eyes told him otherwise and he wondered why he barely felt vulnerable under her inspection. He might as well be a simple tool to her, bodyguard, magic flasks maker and sex toy all wrapped up in one package, but… He knew better and was way too realistic to have make-believes.

She reached for a fresh scar, crisscrossing an older one on his left arm.

"You know, I'm getting cold."

"Sorry. I was just wondering if… you'd ever tell me where all of these came from. How much fights did you got in?"

"I became a soldier at 15." He reminded her, his voice swaying on the past tense.

She had him step in the shower and turned on the water, offering to wash his hair while he dealt with the rest. It didn't take long for the dirt and grim to fall off. She massaged his scalp, relishing his relieved sigh and the way he leaned into her hands. Once his locks were perfectly cleaned, she let her hands wonder over his shoulders, on his sides, following every muscle, nails grazing his skin very lightly.

"Luna… I've got to be clean enough for your standards by now…" he observed, half turning around.

"That one must have been pretty serious," she whispered, her fingertips moving down his spine, following the white skin on his lower back.

The slash mark was larger than her hands.

"I was stuck in a wheelchair for a full year." He admitted, reaching for her face, his thumb following her own scar. "Who did that?"

She tensed at the very question, her arms wrapping around his neck.

"I'll tell if you tell me."

"Maybe after taking you out of those wet clothes."

Her smile was tentative, but she agreed in exchange for a few more kisses. It was a struggle, the fabric sticking to her frame, but Noctis freed her piece by piece, his hands warming her shivering skin, kneading, caressing and teasing her all in turns. The water had been turned off and the royal garments were left in the shower, Luna convincing him to dry up as quickly as possible before to relocate in her bedroom. The drying was an excuse for more teasing on both sides, resulting in shuddered moans and sighs. The bathroom tiles were cold under their feet, but Noctis felt more impatient than ever, pulling her back flush against his chest, nibbling at her neck, his erection coming back between her legs with every step they took. She felt dizzy as his voice rumbled a question against her skin:

"How rough can you take it?"

He could have entered her right there, but instead he teased her more, wriggling his hips against her. Almost joined but still parted.

"How bad do you want it?" she shot back, twisting her neck to meet his eyes.

"Heh. Worse than you could think. But if I promise to make it up to you, can I be selfish?"

It didn't sound specific enough, but she still tensed at the few ideas her imagination came up with.

"Well, you already know I don't want to…"

He shut her up with a heated kiss, pushing her against a chair, focusing on her breasts for an instant, his hands moving faster than usual. As though she could vanish from his grasp if he was too soft.

"I want to rush you."

"As payback for trusting that…?"

"I can't focus like I want to."

His fingers pinched her clit, making her gasp at the jolt of pleasure and pain.

"Quick and dirty then? Hit me." Luna breathed out.

He didn't need to be asked twice. He barely gave her time to adapt to him, clutching her waist as he moved. In and out and… He was barely ever out with the angry pace he built. She gripped at the chair's back, feeling his breath on her back, his fingers digging into her skin before to draw gentle circles and dig again. She muffled a scream by biting her own hand. There was no rhythm to his thrusts, he merely pulled her closer to him, reaching deeper and deeper inside her for release. Luna wanted to see his face, picturing the tension in his jaw, the look of growing ecstasy in his eyes. And faster he went, as fast as he dared.

The pain was almost stronger than the bliss, but he stroked her belly and sides, kissing one shoulder blade, mumbling her name. This wasn't simply payback for her ordering him around all the time. Luna had the suspicion he'd never allowed himself selfishness in such a situation before. His voice seemed ready to break and she twisted and wriggled with him, before to clench her muscles all around him.

He twitched inside her, holding her even closer as he finally came. His shudders almost sent her over the edge, but Noctis was already pulling out, breathing hard, turning her around to look into her eyes the proper way.

"I'm sorry, so sorry. Thank you, Luna."

She felt like warm clay beneath his hands, her back aching, legs quivering. She could smell his musky scent. Letting out a breath, she cupped his jaw, managing a smile.

"Hold me." She pleaded.

He pulled her into his arms, almost too soft now. It seemed a tension in him was gone and she was glad it took so little to calm him down.

"I won't break from that, you know…"

"You're worth more than that. I didn't even…"

"Well, I've been promised more attention in the following rounds." Luna cut him off.

"Ask me whatever you want." He offered, carrying her up to the bed.

"Make me see stars."

"I could open a window, but the air is a bit cold…"

She slapped his shoulder, refusing to even acknowledge his joke with a laugh.

"Make me feel stars."

He kneeled between her legs, caressing her pale skin, taking his time to go from the sole of one feet to her inner thigh, before repeating the process for her other leg. He was tiptoeing her shivers, careful of evading tickling, kissing the goosebumps and commented on how beautiful she looked. She gasped when he swung both foot over his shoulders, briefly exchanging a look with her for permission. She nodded shakily, toes curling in the air. Luna felt herself blush at the first touch of his tongue, covering her eyes as a shudder ran up her spine.

"Don't hide," he asked, his voice ringing through her.

It didn't take long for the first waves of orgasm to take over her senses. Noctis was intent on keeping his word, loving every mewling sound that came from her. This time, he didn't tease, easing her tension and nerve-endings in a suite of climaxes that brought her closer to a scream. She whimpered and tried to struggle out of his grasp, but he only let her go when her gasp turned high enough to make birds fly away in the trees outside her room.

"How many stars did you see?" he asked.

"Too many. I need another shower now."

"Tomorrow," Noctis decided for her, only to feel her hands pulling on his hair.

The next kiss was sloppy and extended itself into a dozen more. Their tastes were mixing on their lips, but neither cared, too far gone in their nest of blissful pleasure. The night seemed too short, the prince gathering his princess in his arms after making love another time, both of them spent and sated.

"I don't know if I can survive this every night," she whispered.

"I don't think your army can afford it. But I'm at your service, Lunafreya."

She giggled next to him, her movements slower as she toyed with his chest hairs, her body too sore for sudden gesture.

"How about you tell me now? Before I fall asleep."

"Tell you what?"

"That scar on your back."

His face fell a bit, but their hands met, fingers intertwining instinctively.

"My brother and me had visited the Meteor site, Ravus needing to stop the fire burning all over the disc. Our father couldn't do it, I don't remember why. Surely too busy with the rest of the kingdom. It was our first travel outside of Insomnia. Rav was four and I had just turned 9. I could warp around and he was still focusing on his magic, we were both too young to receive any serious physical training."

Luna cozied herself against him, stroking his hair with her free hand, squeezing his fingers as she saw him gulping down.

"It was on the ride back that it happened. A daemon snake, as large as a behemoth, with six arms slithered out of nowhere. Ravus was half asleep, the cars stopped and the bodyguards accompanying us were massacred one after the other. I grabbed my brother and made a run for it. Hammerhead wasn't too far, maybe with a few warps…"

"It caught up?"

"Yeah. My spine was touched by the slash. I think it was only because I warped twice as it swung at us that I wasn't cleaved in two. My father attacked it then, all royal arms out. I didn't saw it, I was out cold. Ravus never told me what happened afterwards."

"It must have been awful." She sighed, kissing his shoulder as he held her closer.

"The rehab was awful. It was a whole lot longer. But enough about my scars. Tell me the story behind this one," he said, following the line crossing one eyebrow.

The only imperfection on her face.

"That was… Don't get the wrong idea, okay? It was my father. He'd contracted the blight," she added hurriedly as she saw his eyes widening with anger. "He was half a daemon then, not controlling himself anymore. My mother had failed to treat him, her powers already fading back then."

His eyebrows frowned at that, but Luna was hiding her face against his chest, surely reliving her memories of those dark times.

"If the current Oracle's flesh is failing her and an heir has already been born, the powers will transfer to the stronger vessel. Mom was sick, but I was still too young to use those powers back then. So I hid father and kept him fed until the transformation got too far. At the first drop of blood, he regained his senses and ran way. Our hunters killed him a few days later."

"That's rough."

"I think we're in the same boat when it comes to having it rough."

"Still. You face everything head on."

"So have you. Don't try telling me you've been running away."

"If there's ever anything on your mind, you'll tell me, right?" Noctis asked her.

"I don't think I'd want to turn to anyone else."

They fell asleep snuggled up close together, their heart a mix of hope and resignation. Having each other was their only consolation.

…

Ignis Scientia was alone in a small café. Getting away from the Citadel wasn't getting any easier, but he wasn't on break yet, although people might have thought so. On the screen of his borrowed tablet, words appeared, blue in a dark screen. His words were green. Her words were blue.

 _8-u: I don't think this is going to work, Specs._

 _Lens-fold: We can't keep on postponing much longer._

 _8-u: How's your heart?_

Posing as teenagers chatting away was their only chance at contact. The words were all meant as something different. Something else. Heart meant Lucis for example.

 _Lens-fold: A timing bomb._

 _8-u: Poor darling. I'd whisk you away from that awful family if I could…_

 _Lens-fold: Talk to me more. Curfew still on?_

 _8-u: It is. 9:15, every damn night. I miss having a life. I miss you._

 _Lens-fold: Hey, drama is supposed to be my thing, sweetie._

 _8-u: Maybe is it rubbing off on me. Did you hear of that new concert from the Fins?_

That one was almost too easy to crack down, meaning the Niffs. Although Fins really existed as an alternative rock band. Ignis had committed half of their songs to memory just for the sake of this cover.

 _Lens-fold: A new one? Damn, you've got to tell me where and when!_

 _8-u: It's a VIP thing. Lestallum gets their first concert outside of the crown city. June was in the first plans. Tickets will be sold out before you know it._

 _Lens-fold: Do you think you'll make it there? I might be able to sneak off for once._

 _8-u: Getting to see you face to face would be awesome!_

 _Lens-fold: Yeah. I can't wait either._

 _8-u: My folks are back. Talk to you later, Lensman._

 _Lens-fold: Later, octo-hater._

Signing off, Ignis got up from his spot, three empty coffee mugs next to his computer. The empire would be able to attack Lestallum in a matter of months. The king would be forced to fight on two fronts, with the armada still on the cost. The Glaives would be ready for deployment then. And more than ever, the crown's prince advisor wondered if the older prince couldn't help. They could use an experienced fighter at the head of the troops. Regis wouldn't risk Ravus yet, no matter what the councilors said. Gladiolus would move out. And from Nifelheim, Aranea had nothing but bad news.

 _At least, she's still answering…_

To be continued…

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So here it is, a new chapter, covering some news and smut. I hope you've liked it! I might tweak a few things, but it's going to stay like this for now. Next chapter will come out eventually!


	5. Playing with fire

Today's chapter is longer than usual. In fact, the story might just get longer than I first expected it to. Also, the smut part is… kind of awkward. But in the honor of the reality FFXV was based upon, I went all out to exploit the awkwardness. We have some confused actions – sorry about that, I've been working on my thesis like a machine for the last week- and I needed an outlet. We have a side pairing showing up, I indulged myself quite a bit. A short Luna flashback to see another side of things. I hope you'll enjoy your read.

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Stranded

Chapter 4 – Play with fire

" _This is not how you hold a sword," Cor objected._

 _He deflected her blade and disarmed her in one movement, so quick she could barely follow the multiple motions involved. The Immortal was even harder to please than Gentiana, but Lunafreya had already survived ten of his training sessions. She'd be damned if she didn't manage to. She dove to reach for her rapier, only to find the man standing in her way and kicking the weapon away._

" _I know you can reach me without the weapon. Use your head."_

 _She lunged for him and had to dodge his sword at the last instant, only to be kicked around and backslapped soon after. And the training session went on, the young girl rushing at him, trying various approaches, aiming for his legs, his feet, for his stomach, turning anything around her as a tool. And Cor kept pushing her to the limits, barely holding back. She would be bruised all over from being kicked, pushed around and thrown to the ground countless times; but whenever she fell, instead of mocking her, he would give her a new piece of advice. How to fall without hurting herself. How to get back up while anticipating the next move from her opponent._

 _And she learned despite the pain. Her mother was gone and her father was lost, which only hardened her resolve to get stronger and better. There was no other way for her to face the empire. She had to take out Iedolas and his ambitious troops before they could hurt anymore of her people._

 _She took every slap, punch and kick in stride. A lot of servants spoke badly of her tutor for pushing her so hard and treating her so harshly. Who would make a princess spit out blood and break her teeth in his so-called training if it wasn't a sick bastard?_

 _Cor was conscious of how young his apprentice was. How daunting the task set up before her was… He also knew she was the only one capable of bringing true peace too Eos. Although it might not be in her own lifetime. So, he roughed her up during every session and afterward, taught her how to dress her wounds. How much potion to pour on a cut. Sometimes, he'd be nice enough to reset her bones. And on the days she couldn't walk on her own, he'd carried her back to her room, where Gentiana would be waiting with a servant to help the young lady get cleaned. He even made sure she'd stay in bed whenever he deemed their last training session too intense even to his own standards. But Luna was unstoppable and he kept up with her, rising the stakes a little more._

 _Until the day Gentiana said she was ready. When the light nearly blinded her and suddenly she could fix Cor's wounds in the blink of an eye. Although never her own wounds. It would have made her life too easy._

…

"It's the third fire in two days!" Biggs complained as they rushed to the site. One of the greenhouses had been set on fire first, then the largest school in the capital of Tenebrae. Luna's country was in bad shape despite all the princess's efforts and her army were also the first respondent in large scale panic as this one. The firefighters could barely handle themselves the last night and now, the fire was much, much larger, covering the rare woods of the province.

Luna's mother had fought hard to keep the forest intact. And it was all going to go down in smoke unless they were fast enough this time around. The winter hadn't started yet and summer had been uncomfortably dry. Gentiana suspected fool play from the empire. The small kingdom's strength mostly depended on its citizens' morals. The troops were mostly made out of concerned or angry citizens.

"If we get you close enough, do you think you can temper it down?" Lunafreya asked her bodyguard, voice low enough that he was the only one to hear her.

Noctis hadn't had much time to practice his elemancy with the crystals lately and shrugged, eying the way Quicksilver eyed them. As though studying the pair.

"It's worth a shot," he replied, careful of taking a step away from her and ignoring Prom's insisting stare.

Luna would have warned him she didn't want him to push himself either and only to try if the occasion presented itself, but Noctis kept his distances for the rest of the ride. He made it his job to check their equipment and water tanks while she gave orders. Luna would remain on the airship to watch over the first water drop, while Noctis would lead a team composed of Wedge, Quicksilver and a few older recruits. They had four ships with hastily packed up water tanks, but it couldn't be enough to face a forest fire and they all knew it. As quick as their pilot were, the ride back would leave more time for the fire to grow and devour everything in its wake.

"Things are going to get heated guys!" Prompto couldn't help himself as they prepared for the jump.

The rest of the operation was a messy thing, although fully necessary. A perimeter needed to be established around the fire. Noctis was quick and efficient and so were the men under his command. It was Quicksilver who spotted a suspicious man first and warned the exiled prince with a hand sign.

Following him past the tree lines, Noctis couldn't help but wonder why Wedge had even deemed the guy worthy of joining on their mission. He'd passed the first week of training easily and he'd lay down on the jokes around the princess, although he couldn't seem to act serious except when they found themselves on the battlefield. The smoke was growing thicker, but Noctis could make out their target now.

It looked human, but its walk was all sort of wrong, jumbled and hacked, as though the movements were jerkier than they should. A magiteck soldier… How had he even gotten that far in Tenebrae? Noctis had half a mind to warp up to the thing, but Prom raised his gun, aiming with both eyes wide open. The air was so crisp with heat, fire burst with the shot and the MT fell to the ground, both men catching up to it, the smoke reaching through their mask enough to make breathing uncomfortable.

It was no use interrogating an MT, as they both knew already, but what a daemon wouldn't say, his equipment would tell. Noctis pulled Prom back as he noticed the gas dripping from a small tank the thing had been carrying. There was their pyro-man. Burning down with the forest he'd set ablaze. The wood was crackling as the metal shone from the heat. Prom coughed and Noctis wondered if they still had time to get away. But the flames were faster and instinct took over as he saw the fire.

Not that Noctis ever remembered having the instinct to raise his hand toward a flame. Not that he should be manipulating magic in front of anyone else than Luna. But his eyes were shifting to red beneath the mask and the fire answered his call, Prom letting out a gasp as he looked on in terrified awe. The fire moved against the wind, following the call of its master. And as he absorbed more of it, Noctis felt a strange sense of fulfillment.

 _This isn't even a crystal, and I can tame it to my will. What would they think if they could see me now?_

It took five full minutes, but by the time he was done, the flames were smoke and his eyes burned.

"Holy shit man!"

Noctis tried to contain the magic in him, but he'd never absorbed so much in a single time and he jumped as he remembered where he was. The power was coursing through his veins. Too warm, too dry. He tore the mask from his face, the smoke burning his lungs and his eyes.

"Are you…? How did you do that?" Prom asked.

"Get back," Noctis retorted.

"Isn't that my line? What the hell is wrong with your eyes?"

"Just get…" His words crumbled as his whole body burned. It was too much, his skin felt too tight as he tried to contain it, on hand slipping in his pocket.

 _Please, let there be an empty flask or two_ …

It took some fumbling, but Luna always insisted of having him fully prepared when they went out and for once, he was grateful for it. He imbued the fire in the flasks, not caring for Prom's wide eyes. He was too busy trying to keep the elemancy under control. How did his father ever manage…? And why wasn't he burning himself, when it had been so hard for Ravus to…?

 _Don't think about them, there's no use…_

The burning sensation vanished and his eyes flickered back to blue. The fire was still burning a few miles away from them, but it was much smaller now. Noctis counted five flasks in his hand.

"Heh, so you're not just a lapdog for the princess. You know some wicked tricks too. Guess that's the real reason why she keeps you around."

Noctis glared at him.

"This is going to stay between us, Quicksilver," he warned the gunman.

"Hey, don't worry bro. I don't want to turn into a pile of ashes, your secret is safe with me. But that should earn me less suspicion."

"Well, I can't say you're a bad soldier. Although it's pretty lucky you spot that MT before anyone else."

"Not as much as you charming fire into a piece of glass, Cael. I wonder why that Cael name sounds so familiar now…"

The familiar fear sneaked up on Noctis's heart at the idea his secret could be discovered and his eyes narrowed down to slits.

"Easy there, man, easy there! I'm not looking for trouble. Do you want to swallow more fire or should we be on our way?"

…

Noctis was exhausted when he entered Lunafreya's room. He had half a mind to throw himself on the floor and fall asleep right away but took the time to make his usual assertions. Nothing hiding in corners or behind curtains. The princess's room wasn't as backbone as the camp or most of the manor's wings. With his inspection done, he sat down on his makeshift bed at the feet of Luna's mattress. He had only seen her when the ships had landed, with her eyes looking so wild and angry. The exiled prince didn't know what to expect from her tonight. She was conferring with Gentiana and had ordered him to get some rest, promising she'd join him soon with that single glance he was growing accustomed to.

It still felt wrong to be in her quarters without her. If he hadn't been that tired, he might have pushed his inspection further, if only to quench the curiosity Prompto had awoken during their earlier talk. He couldn't believe the guy knew. Or that he didn't say anything when they caught up with the others by the actual perimeter. Shaking his head, he lied down, crossing his arms on his chest, trying to focus on relaxing every limb and muscles one by one. His lungs still smarted and his bad leg was threatening to torture him all night. A warm bath might have helped, but he was too tired to consider it. They'd taken the mandatory shower, so he was somehow clean. And there was a limit to how cozy he should make himself. Lover or not, Luna was still his boss.

Every now and then, he worried of how precarious his situation truly was. She held so much power over him. One mistake and he'd be left with nowhere else to go. He doubted the empire would be kind to him and Accordo wasn't an option either. It would take forever just to afford a ticket on the rare boats making the travel. Sea daemons were appearing more and more frequently if the news was true.

 _And here I am, doubting the one girl treating me as her equal,_ Noctis thought to himself.

Concerned girl entered the room right then, looking pale and still frantic. There was a frown on her face and her steps were filled with purpose as she walked up to him.

"What are you doing on this side of the bed?"

"Does it count as a side?" he lazily joked around.

"Cael…"

He looked up at that, wondering if he'd missed a second pair of footsteps, but Luna was alone with him, door locked… and calling him by his fake name.

"Yes, my lady?" he asked, cautiously sitting up.

"At ease, knight, I was just messing with you," she retorted, her smile reaching her eyes.

It was her first real smile in a while and next thing he knew, she was dropping herself on his lap and diving in for a searing kiss. He barely caught her, his back hitting the mattress, their teeth clinking together hard enough to have them wince at the discomfort.

"Are you okay?" Luna asked him.

"I'm just tired. I've never done anything like this before..."

She bit her lips, experimentally moving her hips until she was fully straddling him.

"I couldn't believe my eyes when I see the fire die down like that. But maybe your powers are trying to catch up for lost time?"

His face darkened at that and she tried to take his mind off, wriggling just enough to taunt him to attention.

"I don't want to hear about lost time, it's not. I don't get how that even works. Why now and… And please, no grindin… Whoa, let me finish what I'm saying!"

He caught her hands right before she'd pull his pants down and tugged at her wrist to have her lying next to him. She pouted, before to apologize for being pushy.

"I'm not trying to use you, you know?"

"You're going to make me feel bad," Noctis warned her. "I just don't feel up for another sleepless night."

It had been three in a row with the fires. If anything, Luna should have been just as exhausted as him. Dark circles rimmed her eyes, he could see them now, from this close up. But her eyes were bright with that glimmer of desire he couldn't get enough of. And his body was so sore, he could barely kiss her back now that he was finally lying down.

"What if I did all the hard work?" Luna suggested.

Her hands were back on him, grazing and teasing and his first instinct was to agree, but a voice in the back of his head reminded him of the fire in his veins. He wasn't sure of the control he had right now, when he felt so weak.

"I don't know…"

"You owe some reward."

"I don't want a prize. And it's not that I wouldn't like it either, I'm just drained."

"My light can't fix that. But I'm too on edge right now. If you bear with me for just a bit longer, I'll make it worth your while."

Her smile was all sorts of wicked and Noctis had to admit he wasn't cold to the offer. The slightest nod of the head and he felt her lips on the pulse of his neck as they both tried to get him out of his shirt. Her mouth never left him, ghosting every shiver, her fingers deftly toying with his nerves. Licks, nibbles, and a few love bites made him wonder how long she'd waited for such an occasion. When he tried to raise his arms and give back the caresses, she ordered him to lay still or to grasp at the bed head to let her work her magic. He'd never given her entire control in the bedroom, or to any woman before. He was always too weary for it, too certain any attention needed to be compensated by something. Back in Lucis, his few lovers had never seen him like this. Vulnerable, oversensitive, nerves rawer than a newborn. She drew a path down his neck, making a point of kissing every little scars on the way down to his abs.

Noctis was nearly lost in sensation by the time she pulled the rest of his clothing down his hips, but still noted a detail that left him frowning.

"Not taking off your clothes?"

"I think what you need now is some help to relax," Luna retorted, stroking his erection to painful anticipation. Her intentions were clear, but she sounded a bit nervous as she looked into his eyes. "I haven't done this in a while," she admitted.

"You don't have to force yourself."

"I'm not forcing anything. I'm just giving you a fair warning. Just don't do any sudden movement, okay?"

Her warning hadn't been fair. As nervous as she looked, she definitely knew what she was doing. Her tongue teased him, her mouth gentle and soft, the wet warmth only making him ache for more. And more he got.

Luna felt his hips jerking up and forced them down, before to sense his hands in her hair. Holding her head down. He didn't say a word, but he didn't have to. Every twitch and light groan told her the same story. She focused on the sounds coming from his throat, on the way he shook and grew a little more under her touch. She wanted to raise herself and grind into him to share the bliss, but it gave her the impression she was using him.

She'd been worried out of her mind as she saw the fire receding. The soldiers didn't understand how it was even possible and all she could think then had been, is he okay?

When they'd see each other afterwards, he was fighting against his exhaustion to stand and Prom gave her a weird look, as though he knew what they'd been up to. The soot on both of their face was darker than on the other soldiers she'd sent out. She'd pushed the man into stopping a fire, after using him as a soldier, pushing him into using a magic that had always rejected him. She enjoyed his arms far more often than she should, even though the release he gave her was among the only things keeping her sane. Once she knew the truth about him, she should have offered to give that truth to her army. Their army. But could she admit her growing feelings to this runaway prince? He wasn't comfortable in his role of vagrant. But royalty didn't make him any more comfortable either.

She felt the tension in him snap and instantly tried to sit up. She liked the taste of his skin, but what was coming was entirely different. Next thing Noctis knew, she was coughing and spitting on the floor and he was torn between a laugh and some fake apology that might wipe the bewildered expression off her face.

"If it grosses you out that much, you should have…"

"You held me down!" she cut him off, pinching his left tight in retaliation.

He bit back on the laugh.

"Sorry. Come over here."

"I'd rather brush my teeth first. Unless you want a taste?"

"Just get in my arms," he retorted, tugging on her wrist, not caring if she weighted fully down on him.

Her kiss was pretty aggressive, her tongue nearly pushing down his throat and he couldn't help himself then, parting from her and laughing out loud at her antics, which got her to laugh in turn. His arms had wrapped around her and she was shocked at how easy it felt to voice her unease around him. She felt quite undignified and even a bit ashamed of her reaction, after how much she'd insisted on this, but her disgust was fueled by old memories she couldn't share yet. She'd rather never share them.

"It's that bad?" he managed to ask her when their laugh subsided.

"I wouldn't say that. But you're the one cleaning that floor tomorrow," Luna decided.

"By the Six, is that your way of warning me this was a once in a lifetime favor?"

"No, only that I have… weird limits here and there. That wasn't quite hot, huh?"

She sounded ready to apologize and he shook his head.

"We're still getting to know each other. And you don't have to push yourself or cross your limits to please me."

"Same goes for you. Be it in my bed or out on the battlefield," she added.

That took him by surprise.

"Are you worrying about me? I've just been doing my job. And this better not be how you repay good work."

"You're getting a really exclusive attention, believe me."

More words wanted to come out, but it might break the balance they'd reached and Luna wasn't sure she could go back to how things were before Noctis. He nuzzled her neck, eyelids heavy with fatigue. She felt his smile when he kissed her forehead and asked what he was thinking.

"All the stuff I got to do with a princess."

"Noct!" she exclaimed, her outrage anything but fake as she backed away to look back at him.

His eyes softened at the nickname and for an instant, he looked even more vulnerable than when she'd been showering him with caresses.

"What's wrong?"

"I've missed that name," he confessed, voice faltering on the words.

"You should have said so before."

The knot in his throat felt too tight, so he just pulled her in a warm embrace. His heart was burning up in his chest. He could barely align his thoughts. He simply felt found when she looked at him. Her touch mended so many doubts. And she wasn't looking for a lapdog with some magic tricks up his sleeve. Maybe was she simply looking for warmth, but she was kind enough to give back as much as he was ready to give.

"Noct," she repeated.

What was that in her voice that made it sound so different from the way his "friends" used to say it? How was it that she could give him such peace when all they did was fight? Her fingers trailed through his hair. The fire inside could nearly burst and he prayed she couldn't sense it. He would open himself to her in time. If his heart was a puzzle, he still lacked too many pieces. It was still hard to trust himself when his life had been turned upside down without a warning. And as much as he served her, sometimes he wondered if he wasn't using her right back. To have the army he was denied. Defend a kingdom in place of Lucis's lands.

Sleep came in between the sound of her breathing next to him and the feel of her voice in his ears. It took longer for Luna to find her own peace, but she was comforted by his presence. He was warmer than usual, and far more relaxed than she ever remembered him. A part of her wanted to walk up to her desk and plan the counter-attack to repay the empire for the fires and the death they'd caused. But she snuggled just a bit closer to her knight, lazily pulling the cover on them both. They both needed rest. And Shiva knew when they'd get a real break.

…

"The Tenebrae's frontline has advanced last week," Ignis reported. "That princess is growing even more aggressive."

Gladiolus uttered a groan, eyes following closely the royal prince and his sister. Ravus and Iris had always been close. They were closer in years and whenever Regis's heir was growing too impatient, a simple look from the brown-haired girl was enough for him to calm down. She rooted him and gave him the unconditional love he didn't get from the rest of his family. As long as they were kids, Gladiolus had had no qualms with the situation. But it was evolving a tad too quickly for him.

Like Noctis before him, Ravus was granted permission to venture outside of the citadel when he turned 15. But unlike his older brother, Ravus wouldn't run out on his bodyguard or try to explore the darkest parts of the city by that age. He was fine hanging low and only threw a glance over his shoulder two to three times an hour. Being watched over never made him feel better, but it was one of the small prices he needed to pay as a member of royalty.

"Gladiolus, if you keep looking at them this intently, you might pierce a hole in Ravus's head."

"Iris said something weird back home."

It was in the middle of a monologue about her school and some mundane stuff that he usually tuned out, but he'd caught a few words on a defiant tone in the middle of it, words clearly aimed at him. _Watch too closely and you might get an eyeful._

Ravus and Iris looked innocent enough at the moment, enjoying a stroll in a nearly empty public park. Gladiolus kept a respectable distance, imbued with the same powers as the Glaives he trained whenever Ignis took over his shield's duties. For once, Ignis had tagged along, hoping to update his friend about the most recent intel he'd gathered.

The young girl laughed, fingers interlacing with Ravus's good hand. He still wore bandages from the burns he'd gotten during his last attempt at magic. The wounds were healing a little more slowly each time and while he hid it as best as he could, there was no pretending that everything was right. Which was why Ravus needed the time with Iris.

"This is no laughing matter, Iris," the prince protested. "Father won't let me start college unless I can collect four royal arms and defeat a list of daemons!"

"You should see your face when you talk about it!" Iris retorted.

She laughed only to prevent herself from crying, because she wasn't sure she'd be allowed to follow him on his trip. The collecting of royal arms was too early for comfort, but Regis needed to assuage his fears regarding his only heir. Rumors said the second wall, the safety bubble deployed by their king, was dimming by the months. The man had greyed even more this year and been wounded in his latest battle, raising a few questions among the Lucians. Was he still fit to rule? Had he taken his first son's banishment too hard? Would the youngest son protect them when the time came?

Iris had all these questions eating away at her heart and knew how hard it was for Ravus to walk among the streets of Insomnia and know what everyone was thinking. He'd been under such pressure for so long… He'd taken the habit to lash out at everyone, but around her stubborn self, his arrogance simply melted away. She'd confided in him back when they were kids and she'd lost her mother, and despite being just as lost as her, he'd always welcomed her with open arms. Because unlike the servants around the place, unlike his father or even Ardyn- his greatest ally in the court- Iris wasn't a threat. She was his best friend.

"Thing is, I don't really want to leave. Every time I walked out of these walls…"

Bad stuff happened outside of Insomnia. Their country looked like a barren desert for the most part of it and they were both aware of their luck for living in the most comfortable city around Lucis. Iris's fingers squeezed his.

"When are you leaving?"

He shrugged, hating the impression he'd entirely brought down the mood. He never really cared about pleasing people, except when she was concerned. His exception to every rule. Noctis used to kid around about how soft he was when it came to Iris. How could he still remember every comment his brother made up to this day?

"I'm always complaining lately," he sighed, hoping he hadn't been lost in thought for too long.

"Just lately?" she teased him. "As long as you still realize it, I don't think it's so bad. Gives me plenty of chance to try and cheer you up. That way, I can hold up my reputation as your number one cheerleader."

He winced, but knew she was over it now. Despite her ties to the royal line due to her own family, Iris had suffered for sharing such a close friendship with the crown prince. Other girls were jealous. Guys would wonder what Ravus could see in her. She had a boyish attitude all throughout childhood, keeping her hair short and choosing practical clothes over coveted dresses and skirts other girl of her status would wear. She was the presumptive queen after all and Regis had never shown any sign of discouraging either of the teenagers about their relationship. A few had cautioned that crossing the Amicitia's and Lucis's lines might prove troublesome in the future. Gladiolus's children would end up forced to protect their own cousins.

"I wouldn't have anyone else as my number one anything," he retorted, gently tugging on her arm so she'd walked closer.

He was one good head taller than her, but as petite and fragile as she looked, he knew she could resist him. Heck, last time they'd spar together, she had nearly won. And he liked the way she was ready to break every rule only to give him a challenge.

"That just sounded dangerously close to a compliment, Rav. Careful, or you'll lose your edge."

She nudged his shoulder and let go of his hand, to grip to his clothes and push him out of the small path they'd followed. They both new Gladiolus was still able to see either of them, otherwise, the man would have warped up to them in an instant, but he was growing a bit more lenient.

"What edge? We're not fighting. And I could smother you in compliments if that was what you wanted."

Her eyes shone with a playful glint and Ravus was thankful that she took the first few steps when it came down to initiate something serious between them. His back hit a tree's trunk and his arms pulled her flush against him as her hands splayed on his chest, brown eyes stuck to his. Her hair smelled like wild flowers.

"Compliment away, your highness."

The title hurt Ravus like a slap in the face. He didn't want to be some distant prince when it came to Iris. She pressed into him, fingers following imaginary lines along his shoulders, up his neck, deep in his hair. He tried to keep his cool despite the instant shivers she created in him.

"You're cute…" he started.

"Boring," she retorted, although her smile widened.

"…and insufferable, and as stubborn as a mule, and not quite ladylike unless you have ulterior motives…"

"Ulterior motives? Me?!"

And he knew the only ulterior motives she might ever have would be to make him blush.

"I like you, Iris. A great, great deal."

"Like like me?"

His throat constricted at the potential confession and at the feelings surging inside him at the idea he could be apart from her for more than a few hours. All words lost, he bent his head and stole her lips as she instinctively cupped his face. Coming from him, that had to be the clearest answer. No one had ever come that close to the prince. A few feet back, Gladiolus looked the other way, uncomfortable to see his baby sister growing into a young woman. Ignis scoffed at him, keeping a close look to their surroundings.

Right as the kiss grew more heated, Iris slipped away from Ravus, pushing hard on his shoulders so their eyes could find each other.

"I like like you, Rave. Sounds only fair that you admit I'm more than a passing cheerleader."

How could she even doubt it? Something within him snapped and he whirled them around, backing her up against the tree's bark, hands possessive as he tested the limits and try to dive back for another kiss. But while she welcomed his touch, she turned her face around, his lips only reaching her ear.

"Please," she asked him.

"You know I love you, Iris. I'm no good with words."

His voice nearly wavered and she retorted with a searing kiss, wrapping herself around him as he stepped as close as he could without crushing her. There was despair in the gesture, despair in the way she clung to him, because they both knew all they had was borrowed time. Even if she became his queen, he'd pay the price for having been deemed as the chosen king. And there was so much hurt he held back, so much pain for the decisions he'd made so far.

"I love you too, Rave."

His kisses seemed ready to drift away from her mouth and she held his hands on her, leading them up her sides, to touch past the limits usually set. Snuck one hand beneath his shirt to test his sensitivity to her own caresses.

 _What if she knew?_ He wondered.

"That's quite enough!" Gladiolus declared, parting the teenagers as he realized the make-out session had turned to full out groping.

"No need to yell," Iris objected.

"We're still in public," Ignis remarked. "So, we'd better make sure not to gather unwanted attention."

Ravus tugged down his shirt while Iris replaced the collar of her blouse, both blushing slightly at the reprimands. But one look between them was enough to confer that this wouldn't suffice for either of them. Although he felt bad for keeping the truth from her about his brother's exile. His heart quivered as contradictive thoughts rushed his brains.

 _Tell her, have her understand. The more you wait. I've already waited so long…_

And the burns on his hand had to mean Noctis had gone along with his plans of stealing away his powers. But a voice in the back of his head told him he could still be wrong. And that was nearly worse than the idea of losing Iris for agreeing to Ardyn's suggestion.

To be continued…

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So yeah, we will have Raviris in this fic too! Although Ravus is in deep shit already with the decisions he made. My long-term plan is to have Ravus, Ignis, Gladio, Iris and maybe one more person on the pilgrimage to collect royal arms, while Noctis, Luna and Quicksilver (the guy needs to give them his real name, writing Prom feels so weird) are travelling across Lucis to collect Astrals. But that means to stabilize the situation with the empire. So action should come up next.

As always, review makes me happy. 😊


	6. Cold hands

Hi everyone! I should have worked on Unexpected, but I was inspired for this story instead and I really, really wanted to get a new chapter done. Today, we have character development on Prompto, one Astral and one intense flashback with Noctis and Regis. I hope you'll like this chapter! It's super duper long, which explains why it took me so much time to got it out. XD

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Stranded

Chapter 5 – Cold hands

Metal and thrusters hurled and hissed while bullets as large as Noctis's head ripped through the air. The empire's MTs were lying on the ground, broken dolls, but their Prima roared, crushing everything under his heels whenever its frame touched down. The Tenebraean soldiers screamed, men and women send sprawling as the mechanized monster landed for the nth time. It fired hell on their troops. Raining fire and blood in its wake. After two weeks of battles after battles, Luna's rebellion had pushed the empire behind its frontlines and even beyond. Lunafreya wanted to erase the threat and kick back Aldercapt back home.

Noctis was glad they hadn't seen Glauca in the field again, but was getting a little more worried of the general's absence. The empire had been preparing an attack on Insomnia, thinking that taking the crystal could help them, since they hadn't been able to subdue the Oracle of the gods. And he was starting to worry about his homeland, although he really should be focusing on the present situation. He didn't want to think what kind of damage Glauca could cause in Insomnia. Or worse yet, Lestallum. The town's protection was pretty barebone, not to say literally inexistent.

"Dude! On your left!" Argentum called out.

Cael saw the metallic claw coming down on him and warped away. He'd dropped the pretenses last week regarding this power, seeing as fellow soldiers were in danger, While Biggs and Wedge had voiced shock, their Nif recruit sounded unimpressed. The blond sniper was a daredevil himself, waiting till the very last instant to take his shots, rushing ahead of danger and pulling stunts after stunts. The latest involved competing with Cael to know which of them could take out the more enemies in a day. And they had agreed that one prima amounted to 10 MTs. Cael was pretty certain he could take it out all by himself, but Argentum wasn't ready to let that target go.

The gunshots rang as Prom emptied his charger. His sniper was tied to his shoulder, and the automatic gun in his hands looked far too big for his frame.

"You can't take out that thing with a gun!" Cael warned.

"Just watch me, bro!"

The ground shook under their feet. It was almost impossible to keep their balance, but both of them managed, half jumping, half running. Lunafreya was a few feet back, covered by the rest of her troops as she casted magic shields and bolt of pure light into the fading ranks of Nifelheim. Prom and Cael were single-handedly keeping away the Prima, the first making a barrage of bullets and reloading in record time. The second was warping left and right, zipping through the air, throwing magic flasks at the thing. Ice to slow him down, make it skid to a halt. But then the mechanized monster would rise up in the air. Which meant a new warp, planting his engine blade between wires and climbing his way up to the more fragile parts of the Prima. Joints were reinforced, but with a cunning shot, Prompto took out one claw. Cael hated falling behind and warped three times, fighting against the dizziness and how numb his limbs were getting. He could barely tell up from down, pinned to the thing like a mosquito taking a ridiculous bite.

"Don't get in my line of fire now, Cael," Prom warned him.

"Focus on his legs. I'll be up in a second," he shot back.

And much to his words, he threw a dagger up and followed it suit. Quicksilver wasn't far behind, breaking down the prima's left knee with a precision shot. A week ago, Cael wouldn't have taken such a risk. But Prom had had his back more than once and proved reliable, if not invaluable. They had little experts on guns and Lunafreya was slowly warming up to the idea of letting Quicksilver train some of their men. All they needed was the right equipment. And after this fight, they were pretty sure to reach a Nifelheim factory.

The prima had burst out of it in a flurry of metal, the last line of defense with a handful of Magiteck soldiers. They were all down, Luna efficiently taking them out despite what had been brought to her attention by Noctis.

" _Those MTs, what are they really? They bleed and they crack down, but it's all green ooze and…" Biggs had asked once, putting Quicksilver on the spot._

" _Now, that's a tough one. You sure you wanna know, bro?"_

 _Cael shrugged as the pair of fighters looked up at him, refusing to treat this situation like one where his opinion should settle the question. He was already giving enough orders as it was and despite his past position, he didn't feel quite comfortable in ordering them around outside of a battlefield._

" _Haven't we seen enough messed up stuff already? How wrong can it be?" Wedge insisted._

 _Prom grimaced._

" _It's pretty fucked up. Each MT is a human-turned daemon. At first, they were freely recruited and it was an honor for the citizens to give their children to our army. When the children stopped getting home, things went a bit awry."_

 _Cael had jumped on his feet at that, which made Prompto snap his head in his direction._

" _What happened?"_

" _Verstael started breeding soldiers. And stealing genetic material wherever he saw fit, kidnapping citizens all over the empire. Most of the people in Nifelheim are either sick or mad with terror by now."_

" _Why do they even keep human soldiers then?"_

" _They might take longer to grow, but they don't break in the same way those MTs do."_

 _No one had observed the fact Prom didn't include him in the human soldiers category. They were already shocked enough as it was to have a better idea of how broken from the inside the empire already was. And Cael had vowed to dig into this new mystery as soon as possible. But they'd moved up to the front and it had been once hectic battle after the other._

"Incoming!" Quicksilver called out.

Cael whirled on himself, using his warping power to walk up the cockpit, his engine blade shredding the metal open. Until blood and oil mixed in the air. The pilot had red eyes. Man-made daemon. Magiteck. Another victim of their war. One less danger for Tenebrae, for Lucis. And maybe even, for Nifelheim itself.

…

"Are you okay, Prom?"

"I don't know, bro. Although, it's a bit weird of you to ask…"

Venturing inside the weapon factory was surreal. The place was virtually devoid of life or resistance. Machines working on chain of montage as far as the eyes went. And tubes large enough to hold a full-grown man on the walls. Quicksilver was growing tenser and tenser.

"You look like you're expecting the bogeyman to show up," Cael observed.

Hesitation and resignation battled on the pale man's features. He settled for lowered shoulders and the deepest sigh the exiled prince had heard in quite some time.

"This place looks a lot like that guy's lab."

"What guy?" Cael insisted.

"The MTs breeder. I heard the crazy bastard is still alive."

 _Verstael,_ Cael thought.

"How dangerous is he without his toys?"

"Oh, he always keeps his best toys around him, believe me," Prom retorted. "Keep an eye on the ceiling. Yell if you see the shadow of a robot gorilla."

Cael blinked, but before he could ask for a clearer explanation, Prom stalked off at Lunafreya's call. It was time for their report.

…

"The frontlines are under control," the princess reminded him for the nth time. "We can leave things in Monica's hands."

"But what do you expect of the Glacian? And why is Gentiana so insistent about it?"

Luna wanted to visit Shiva's grave and she was taking only Quicksilver and him for protection. A quick return to the Fleuret manor after their last victory had confirmed the rumors of Monica Leonis's visit. Top intelligentsia agent, expert tactician and Cor's mysterious wife, Monica had seldomly visited Lunafreya over the years. She'd never tell the young girl where her husband -former mentor of the princess- had disappeared to. All she brought was intel on Lucis and critical information on Nifelheim.

" _The king of Lucis is getting worse by the day and Aldercapt thinks he'll get a better chance against you if he can subjugate Lucis," Monica started off without a greeting. "With the crystal, he would control the glaives, and more. The crown prince is supposed to set off to collect his royal arms. But from what I've seen from his recent magical training, something is really wrong with him."_

Noctis had mentally kicked himself for the step forward he took and the intensity of his stare, but he couldn't help himself. This was the first news from his father and baby brother in months. Luna called off Gentiana and had the meeting concluding behind closed doors.

"If the idea hasn't crossed your mind yet, an alliance…"

The princess snapped at that. "I don't mean to offend you, Monica, but Lucis turned their back on Tenebrae when Regis declared neither of his sons needed the Oracle."

She gave a brief, but genuinely apologetic look to Noctis, who simply shrugged. He wasn't going to let politics darken his vision of her and he fully understand her anger at Regis. He wasn't willing to admit it out loud, but the idea of her never meeting his brother was music to his ears.

"I didn't remember you like that, young lady. Surely you see the utility…"

"I'll ally myself with the Astrals first. If we can protect Accordo and Lucis, we will, but we are no asking for either of their permission."

Monica let out a long breath.

"Fine then. If your aim is the Astrals, I can surely have my hunters clearing up a path for you in Lucis. But I hope you remember I am not your enemy."

Luna lost some of her belligerence and gave the older woman a pained smile.

"I could never see you as an enemy, Monica. We're friends and I don't want to see Lucis in ruins. But the priority goes to my people. And to those affected by the blight."

"Your mother would be quite proud," Monica noted. "But haven't you done enough for Tenebrae? And how can you prioritize it if you run after the Astrals?"

"They can make me stronger. Strong enough to take out Glauca, and all of Aldercapt daemons."

Noctis found it hard to keep silent. If the crystal had chosen him like it should have, he would have been the one to collect the Astrals. In between battles, sometimes right after some rushed up comfort sex, Luna had been going through every volume of the cosmonogy. She needed all the power she could have and feared the expanding blight. Among the few citizens they'd met in Nifelheim, only one out of four was sane of flesh. She had healed everyone, but the process was taxing, forcing her away from the battlefield for much longer than she could accept.

After hours of reading and re-reading, Lunafreya had found her answer. If she could revive the Glacian, the other Astrals would linger far longer when she'd call them. And the right sacrifices would ensure their help, with or without crystal. It was Etro's will that her children would be saved.

"I wonder what your exiled prince has to say about this," Monica declared.

Noctis steeled his heart. The title sounded almost foreign to him. Luna gave him a questioning look, worrying her lower lip. They usually didn't talk of Lucis if they could help it and she clearly felt bad for not being the one to ask for his opinion first.

"I'm prince no more, Monica. And I don't object my liege's view. The blight is festering and Ravus isn't doing anything about it. If I can amend for the sins of my family…" He struggled to get the last word out. "…I'll do everything in my power," he finished.

"You really don't have to go that far," Luna told him, her voice wavering despite her efforts to hold down her feelings.

As their eyes locked together, Noctis felt a wave of warmth rising in his heart. He wanted to tell her wrong, tell her how far he was ready to go if it was for her, but the words died in the back of his throat. She had to suspect it already. There was only so many things his hands could share through loving caresses.

Monica brought them to reality.

"Sounds like you're an even better team than what I heard so far. And you do have an alliance. Do you have any idea how many soldiers would follow you if you were to ask for help, Cael?"

Noctis shifted uncomfortably on his legs.

"You know what they accused me of, don't you?"

"I also happen to know you've been framed," Monica shot back. "Make that known to the glaives and they'll flock right back to your side."

He winced at the notion. It wasn't like he hadn't tried to clear his name. But magic couldn't be proven like common murder. Too little people used it and the sorcery used against him and Gladiolus still left him baffled. If he couldn't explain it to himself, how was he going to convince anyone?

" _We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Luna suggested. "For now, I need to test Gentiana's theory. And I would like to have the Lionness keeping an eye on the frontlines for me."_

" _I knew I could be of service. Be warned that your soldiers might get addicted to my cooking. I doubt you can afford that," the so-called Lionness teased her._

…

"At.. Aat… Aaatchoooo! Damn, it's so freaking cold here," Prom complained.

Noctis's teeth were almost clattering together, while Luna progressed without even a hint of discomfort. On the fifth lament from the gunman, the princess pinched his leg, which had Noctis frowning. Wasn't she getting a little too comfortable with that blond guy?

"I had warned you against wearing jeans, but did either of you listened?! Winter is almost here and it was always worse around the Glacian's grave."

They came by airship and then snowmobiles, but a mile and a half before reaching their destination, Luna had ordered them to walk. Shiva resented technology and only cared for the strong.

"How are we sure that she'll even be there?" Noctis asked, fighting against his chittering teeth.

"How many times are you going to ask that question?"

"Until I get a satisfying answer," Noctis retorted with as much fire.

The smiled she flashed him was warm enough for even Prompto to feel better, although the gunman knew it was only directed to Cael. The bond and complicity between these two was almost painful to watch. Everyone around the manor knew. Biggs and Wedge had a few bets about when the princess and her bodyguard would admit what was going on. And all the former Nifelheim could think was whether Tenebrae would welcome the news of a foreign prince and potential king-slayer as its consort king.

He didn't really care much, he had his own dark secrets, but one had to wonder how such a "secret" could remain secret that long…

"I know this all seems really farfetched, but Gentiana was adamant I had to bring you two with me, otherwise, this wouldn't even…"

The princess was interrupted by a gust of wind that chilled them all to the bones. The frozen landscape which had been nothing but snow and far-away mountains was now broken down by large shadows. Their next step confirmed the shadows were in fact daemons. But much to their surprise, none of them moved.

"Are they…?" Quicksilver started.

"…frozen." Noctis finished. "All of them."

There were magiteck soldiers too, or at least, their armor reminded them all of MTs, but upon closer inspection, they had been fully human when they fought for the empire.

"We're here," Luna stated, sounding just as surprised as her two bodyguards looked. "The Glacian's grave…"

The blanket of snow turned to ice and threatened to send them into a heap of limbs and soreness, but the princess stopped, noticing movement through the snow suddenly coming down from the sky. A silhouette stood before them, a woman, with dark hair and a complexion so pale, it was a wonder she could even stand up before them. The storm grew strong enough to impair their vision, making it impossible to distinguish her face. But her voice was cold and pure, ice in their ears.

" _ **So you came**_."

Noctis was shaking from the sheer cold and Prom's teeth were chattering together now.

Luna spoke in a language neither man had ever heard. Her words vibrated through the air, her voice stronger and reaching further, while the other-worldly speaker answered with a deep, raw tone that almost burned their ears.

" _ **Are you willing to pay the sacrifice for my powers? Following an Oracle instead of a king is… unprecedented.**_ "

Luna swallowed and nodded.

" _ **Sadly, the choice doesn't fall to you. Your role as an Oracle would normally be to sustain the price in the place of the chosen king. Except there is no chosen king.**_ "

Noctis's heart missed a beat at that. Ravus was the chosen king. The crystal…

"The hell?!" Prom groaned.

" _ **Silence, Nif soldier.**_ "

"What is she even saying?" Quicksilver insisted, only for Shiva to retort with a flick of her fingers, a gust of wind rushing up to the gunman and zipping his lips closed with a layer of ice.

Prom choked and as panic settled, the princess undid the spell with her healing light, angrily looking at the mysterious woman that didn't seem quite as mysterious as before. Luna took a step forward, gasping as she realized why the cold voice sounded so familiar.

"Gentiana?!"

" _ **More or less**_ ," the woman replied. " _ **I don't want to keep you freezing up here for long, but there is a test and a price to be paid. I had to wait years and I had to keep my true identity a secret for I was too weak to face another attack…**_ "

Closing the distance between the Oracle and her, Gentiana let the mask fall, her skin turning blue and her clothes shrinking into minimalist strings of metal that did little to hide her curves. Noctis and Quicksilver were frozen from the sheer shock, the exiled prince trying to find back his voice. How could there be no chosen king when the crystal had made its choice?

" _ **I was allegedly killed as the Glacean**_ ," Shiva started explained. " _ **But instead of dying, I was reduced to my weakest form. A human body. I was first drawn out of my eternal winter by your mother's powers. And then you were born and I knew my prayers had been answered. Your light, lady Lunafreya, your light is stronger than that of any Oracle I have seen. The only condition for you making a pact with me is the identity of the debtor.**_ "

Luna was shaken. She wasn't sure if she had a right to feel tricked. Gentiana had been rough, but kind, a sister and sometimes even a mother to her. Always looking after her, reminding her to watch her temper, warning her of potential threats, never afraid to get her hands dirty if it meant protecting the princess.

"You never said anything about having someone else than myself paying that price…" Luna observed.

" _ **Because I knew you wouldn't come in that case. I'm the only logical step if you want to forge covenants with either of the Astrals. And including Noctis Caelum in the bargain is only logical. While lacking, he has the blood of the old kings running through his veins.**_ "

The cold had reached said man's soul and he roared with anger, his fingers lighting up with flames.

Quicksilver took a careful step back, one hand reaching to his gun. His movements were slowed down by how cold he felt.

"Gentiana, how dare you…" Luna started, only to be interrupted by Shiva, who was looking down on Noctis with an amused smile.

" _ **So he does understand my words too. You might not be as lacking as I first thought. So then, I will ask you one question, exiled prince. Between Lunafreya, the trained Oracle, and you–attempted fratricide–, which one has more chances of purging the Scourge from this world? Can you heal people? Can you do anything else than destroy whatever you touch?**_ "

"I'm no fratricide, you…!"

" _ **Easy, easy, I'm harsh and I like to strike nerves. I know Luna can channel my powers. But first I need to know if you'll try to get in her way. Or to claim the Astrals as yours. You have every reason to want our powers for yourself.**_ "

"Dude, either you burn the bitch, which isn't likely to work, either you turn those flames off. Would someone here care to tell me what's going on?" Quicksilver complained.

Shiva cleared her throat and let her voice shift to something more human, switching to the actual human tongue. Noctis hadn't even realized Luna and her had been speaking in the god language. He'd studied it long ago, but it had been mostly gibberish to him back then. Why could he understand it now?! And how far was Shiva going to mess around with him?

"I'm here because the Scourge and the empire for that matter have been given free reign for long enough," Shiva explained. "Lady Lunafreya can bring a stop to this, if she collects every Astral through covenant, but the legends and the rules were based on a Lucian king gathering our powers."

"Oh…" Prompto's eyes cleared up from all the questions. "And since Cael here… I mean… Noctis, am I right? Since Noctis here is pretty close to a Lucian king despite his forced exile, he could try himself at that covenant instead of the princess."

"How do you know all that?!" Noctis asked.

"Bro, you can swallow fire into your body like a freaking djinn. And Cael is close enough to Caelum. If you want to take a false name, you should put more thought in it."

"Look who's talking, _Prompto Argentum_ ," Shiva shot back, her smile growing almost too large as the gunman turned red. "I always do my homework when new people arrive in Luna's life. And your presence here is more than a single coincidence. Forging covenants would normally take a heavy toll on the Oracle. She can't pay it if she's the recipient of my power. I won't allow it."

"So your condition for lending her powers is that the fake prince and I pay that so called toll in her stead? I didn't sign up for this." Prompto retorted angrily.

"And I swear, Prompto that it wasn't my intension to ask that of you. Neither of you," Luna declared, her eyes genuinely sorry once again.

Noctis was growing tired of seeing that apologetic look on her face. She was almost a queen, she had a right to demand things out of her subjects. She had a right to ask others to sacrifice themselves for her. And he had vowed to do anything in his power if it meant helping her. She was fighting the good fight. Her heart was so big, her will so strong. He still remembered her face when she'd cry herself to sleep between his arms after infructuous reads or learning how many more people were affected by the blight. The sound of her sobs, shattering him. How she choked on the tears as she tried to hold them back, until she gave up pretending because his kisses and hands promised her no judgement. If she could fix how broken this world was, who was he to object? He forced his frozen legs to move and walked up to stand by his lover's side.

"I'll do it," Noctis stated. "I don't want any Astral powers, I just want to help."

Luna gaped at him, looking too pale, skin translucent, her breath barely holding steady.

"If you're the only one paying the toll, you'll die from it," Shiva warned him.

"What?! No, I won't allow it!" Lunafreya shot back, her hand gripping to Noctis's arm.

"It was the Fleuret's women destiny for as long as we waited for a chosen king," Shiva observed. Each covenant will eat away at your flesh. If the burden is shared, both debtors should survive."

Luna was aghast as she understood what the sacrifice truly was. Shiva was blunt about the chances either of her men had of getting through the ordeal. But it was contrary to the Oracle's ways to even think of letting someone else suffer when she was the one asking for something.

"Whoa, slow down ice bitch," Prompto started. "Are you telling me… that even if I were to accept, our odds of surviving aren't guaranteed?!"

"I think the fact _you_ are still alive is already a miracle. Watch that language. And remember what we're up against. Do you want the empire's state to become Eos's reality? A worldwide pandemic, with humans shifting into monsters until your entire specie is too warped to be recognized as anything else than darkness?"

It was hard to swallow that down, but the temperature had dropped even more and Prompto shifted closer to Luna, the princess squaring her shoulders as she offered an alternative.

"What if Noctis and I were to…"

"The healing and prayers already take enough energy out of you," Shiva cut her off, her fists on her hips, head cocked to the side with feigned disdain as she took the sight of the three humans before her. "I know the other Astrals will need a lot more convincing than I do. A man from Lucis and a man from Nifelheim accepting to pay for the saving of this world is the best argument you can give them."

Luna knew she was trying to bend the rules. But the new ones Shiva was imposing her were just unfair.

"You can't expect us to make a decision like that in…"

"I'm fine with it," Noctis insisted. "If we go back to Lucis, I risk being killed as soon as a crownsguard sees me."

"Like you would get killed that easily," Argentum chided him. "Although I don't give much of my hide if I meet my old man… Becoming a legend is nice, but I'd rather live a couple more years, find myself a nice girl or three…" he laughed before to turn his attention to Luna. "I could be convinced to become a "debtor" as miss ice-cube suggested it."

The princess blinked and Prompto's smile turned almost predatory.

"I'll need compensation," he explained. "I know what your bodyguard gets in exchange for being a devoted dog… Oh come on, don't look at me like that, I'm not into thin-self-sacrificing-royalty, you can lay off, bro."

"Fine, what is that you want?" Luna asked, doing her best to ignore what the gunman was implying.

"A room in the manor. Preferably far enough from your quarters so I get to hear silence at night," he added as an afterthought, sounding disturbingly serious. "Oh! And a decent pay! I need to entertain myself with something else than beer."

"Consider it done," Luna promised. "Is that all?"

"Well, I might have a few other demands in the future, when I realize what I've gotten myself into. But you're already feeding and clothing me, so that would be all for now…"

Shiva was clearly annoyed, but Luna was also angry at her for keeping her in the dark until they got to the Astral's "grave".

"So be it, Gentiana. We've agreed to play by your rules. What is the next step? Blood oath?"

The Glacean smiled.

"That would be cute, but both of your men can barely stand this cold. You gentlemen stay still while you pray for my blessing, Oracle. When you'll be ready for the next covenant, seek out Ramuh first. He's wise enough to help convince the others."

The prayers were uttered in that otherworldly language that Noctis understood but Prompto couldn't. It was surreal, as it stopped snowing and Shiva slowly melted, vanishing, the Oracle's hands turning blue and her hair shifting an instant. At the same time, the cold air and snow accumulated on the ground, as though gathering on themselves before rushing the men standing on either side of Luna. Prompto was knocked on his ass while Noctis staggered from the hit. It wasn't a physical hit, more like an invasion. For a minute, it was impossible to breath, as though their lungs were filled with ice, their brain muddled by fog and the storm raging inside.

To think Luna had been supposed to go through that?! Noctis couldn't hold back that thought and wondered why his memories were running wild in his mind. Was Shiva looking through them? What was that price he was paying? Flesh, blood, energy? He couldn't pinpoint the pain, couldn't locate the strongest aches between them all. He just wanted to crawl into a ball and shake until the worst of it subdued. Luna's hands touched him than. Her touch felt incredibly warm, almost like fire. His eyes cracked open, his breath returning, shaky but bringing much needed air to his lungs.

"Noctis?"

"I'll be okay," he told her, forcing his voice to remain steady.

Prompto gurgled and wheezed a few feet behind them before to struggle out the words. "Well, I'm NOT okay."

It wasn't much of a surprise to see Luna rushing to the gunman's side. Noctis fought against his instinct to sink to his knees for a bit. He was pretty certain getting back up wouldn't work and they had a mile and a half to walk before he could even worry about sleep.

"I'm sorry, Prom…"

"Sorry my…" A cough cut him off and he sighed before to resume with gentler words. "I didn't sign up for this when I joined your little army. But the blight killed my mom and most everyone I cared about. How many Astrals are there?"

"Six, including Shiva," Noctis stated.

"Well shit. We're so dead, bro. I have a new condition for this," Prompto warned her. "I'm going to need someone to patch me up. Preferably a nurse."

Luna had quickly inspected him for wounds and was left with no reason for his pain. She helped him into a sitting position, asking for more information about what they were going through. Both men were aching from head to toes, but they were merely drained as Shiva had used their lifeforce to reach over the last barrier separating her from the human world and imbue Lunafreya with her magic. As the minutes passed by, Luna giving Prompto and Noctis some time to recover, the cold died down.

"I can get you nurses, but it will be hard to explain why you need one."

Prompto looked like he had a joke all ready to justify any nursing, but Noctis pulled him to his feet a bit rougher than needed.

"You agreed to it, stick to your words and don't be difficult now."

"As you wish… Your highness."

"Don't…!"

"I get now why you didn't want to be called bro. So you tried to kill your little brother, huh?"

"Prompto!" Luna exclaimed, ready to chide him if he didn't change subject.

"You're being far too sensitive about this. I killed tons and tons of brothers. And they were all mine. Family drama runs pretty deep with us Argentum."

The confession took them both by surprise, but Prompto explained himself with a self-derisive smile.

"I know too many of your secrets to feel comfortable not giving you some of mine. If we're even, you should keep me around for longer than just collecting Astrals, right?"

Luna didn't know what to answer. While Prompto had been integrated to their team without much question, it was true that they still considered him more imperial than one of their men. And Noctis, while growing closer to the man, wasn't exactly entirely thrusting him yet.

"I'm not sure I get…" Noctis started.

"How about we talk on the ski-doo? I don't want you collapsing on me. I don't think Shiva's power would help me in carrying you away from here."

The ride back was Luna shifting the engines as both men hang on, their second ski-doo given up. They were both growing far too groggy to trust themselves as they drove. Prompto's story was really brief, but it changed a lot of Noctis's perception for the guy.

"So, like I said the other time, the Magiteck soldiers are bred by Verstael. You could say manufactured. In one of the first waves, my old man tried cloning himself. Which resulted in me and my brothers. It was experiments and training and more experiments for as far as I can remember. We were given numbers to be distinguishable from one another. When I left, I took out his main lab. And most of my brothers. None of them ever tried to protect our mother from him."

No surprise he'd sounded so broken and was always so dark. Noctis wondered why instead of fear, he only felt like understanding the gunman. Having a dictated life where you didn't fit, where you didn't quite cut it… He could relate to that. He hated himself for still being so sensitive. But it was snow, nothing but snow on the horizon, and Luna begged them to keep talking until they reached the ship. So they talked. Of brothers worth killing, broken families and of that dreadful scourge, which was the root of it all. Luna didn't participate much in the talk. She was deep in thought despite speeding off into the night, trying to muster the courage to thank them for the price they had accepted to pay in her name. She wanted to apologize a dozen more time instead, but couldn't bring either words out.

…

" _I still don't understand, Noctis… If you ever wanted for anything, you know I was ready to provide. Anything, anything at all, you needed but to ask me. And instead…"_

 _Regis was livid and Noctis was fighting against the multiple knots fear, confusion and apprehension had tied in his throat._

 _Gladiolus has been lying in a puddle of blood, his arm almost cut off while Ravus screamed for help when the illusion broke off. He'd been fighting a bunch of daemons, trying to protect his brother and future king from the sudden menace, despite not understanding how the things had gotten this deep into the Citadel. There was blood on his shirt and a cut gapped on his old scars, no magic applied, not even a potion. A part of him hoped he would bleed to death instead of living this waking nightmare._

 _The cameras showed pictures entirely different from what the prince had seen as he'd walked into the courtyard of the citadel. It didn't help that no one but Ravus and Gladiolus had been around at that time. When the crude beasts vanished, fumes and illusions, revealing the wounded king's shield and one terrified future king, Noctis had dropped his blades. Something in Ravus's eyes, something told him this was no prank. They had crossed a line. And his mind was trying to understand why Gladiolus was this hurt, until he understood that Gladiolus had been that four-armed naga he was fighting. Which was why he'd nearly slashed off his arm._

" _This is not what it looks like…"_

 _Why did those words sound so lame? It was the truth! He'd never meant…_

" _Are you trying to tell me we all got this wrong? You tried to kill your own brother! You nearly got through Gladiolus. I don't even know why you stopped…"_

" _Father, please, listen to…" Noctis tried to calm him down._

" _Don't call me like that! Don't you dare pretend as if nothing has changed. Do you have any idea…?! I thought we understood each other, Noct. I thought you were happy with what you had. I thought you know how much I…"_

 _Despite Clarus's warning and Ardyn's counsel, Regis ordered to be left alone with his first-born. He'd seen the films, seen the awful scene of Noctis punching Ravus and then taking out his blades with murder in his eyes. The state Gladio was in was enough proof in itself. The citadel was ablaze with the news. The firstborn finally lashed out. He tried reclaiming what he thought rightfully his. He'd gone mad. The tabloids would be all over it in a matter of hours._

" _There were daemons, it was a…"_

" _I know what daemons look like! If there was any daemon out there tonight, it was you, son."_

 _The words hit him as Regis stood up from his throne, standing so far above. They had never felt this far apart and Noctis wanted to explain this had been a trap. A machination. A misunderstanding. He would never attack Gladiolus, never do anything worse than punch Ravus's smug face once or twice. He knew better than to hurt his brother. He knew better than to weaken their country._

" _I swear to you, I didn't try to hurt Ravus. This was a trap…"_

" _Do you know why you don't have any uncle or aunt? So the potential rulers don't fight against themselves. Your mother was so crushed at the idea you could be asked to sacrifice your life for this world, she begged me to have another child. In order for one of you two to be spared. And her wish was granted, since the crystal spared you from its blessing. And that's how you repay her?!"_

 _It was hard to breathe now, hard to look him into the eyes, but Noctis steeled his heart._

" _I'm glad she isn't here to see this," Regis admitted, eyes dark, face torn between anger and doubts._

 _Noctis wanted to find the words that would make him see the truth. Undo the hurt of thinking he'd betrayed him. But he could barely focus on his father's pain when his own pain was welling up inside, tearing up his heart. His voice wavered, his hands were turning into fists. He wanted to break down. Who else would help if his own father didn't listen?_

" _Don't say that," he pleaded. "I don't want the throne, I never did, I'll do anything to…"_

" _How long have you been lying to me? How long has this charade been going on? The good son, favorite of his father, striving for recognition, always, always… I thought you understood the position we were in. I thought you at least loved your brother."_

" _I never lied! I'm loyal to you, da…"_

" _Enough!" Regis ordered._

 _His monarch authority was out and Noctis saw red. How unfair was that? He'd played by every rule, he'd had their back all this time, he loved them and had put up with the constant humiliations and judgement from the people, because he cared too much for his family to jeopardize everything. He was a soldier. He was a knight. He was Regis's goddamn son._

" _Hear me out," he asked again, controlling his voice as best as he could. "It wasn't Gladiolus I saw, it…"_

" _Noctis, I said_ enough! _You don't make any sense."_

" _Because it doesn't make sense! Father, I saw nagas and mindflayers all over the courtyard. One of them almost had its blade on Ravus, I…! Why would I attack pillars and a stupid car unless I wasn't under some sort of spell?"_

" _Convenient lie. I was always soft on you," Regis stated, as though he regretted it. "Even now, I can't bring myself to do what is needed. Not when you look at me with her eyes…"_

" _For Etro's sake, father, you have to trust me on this."_

" _I wish I could. Truly, my son."_

 _Noctis took a step up the stairs, unable to endure the distance between them any longer. He'd been brought in like a dog and he knew what awaited if Regis didn't accept his version of the events._

" _Stop right there Noct. Or I will have to consider this a threat."_

 _Another blow. This time, the prince winced._

" _I'd never…"_

" _You tried to kill one of my sons tonight. And it sadly worked. You're dead to me now."_

 _The words were ushered with a gasping breath and Noctis ran up the rest of the stairs without thinking. Surely if he could shake him up, Regis would understand. His life couldn't be turned upside down like that. Ravus couldn't win, he had done nothing wrong, he had been tricked into this awful, awful situation and he would wake up before it turned true, he would wake up and find solace in his father's arm. He felt like a child, reaching out desperately. But Regis's eyes were glazed over and he reacted with a magic Noctis never could muster. The prince hit an invisible wall and was pushed back. He warped to his feet, disbelief and despair fighting over his heart. The protective shield grew larger, pushing him further, until he tumbled down the stairs._

" _Please, father, it's me! Don't look at me like that! Don't forsake me."_

 _But other words came out after him as Regis called his armiger._

" _Liar. Fraud. Deception. Faker. Ungrateful child."_

No, no, no, look at me, dad, remember me.

 _Regis's eyes looked right through him, as though he was seeing something else. More illusions? But what was causing them all?_

" _I saved you time and again. I watched you grow into a man, and now you leave me with no choice."_

 _It was like those nightmares were your voice was taken away from you. Noctis watched at the royal arms zipping around his father, holding back his first instinct to call out his engine blade. Would he take that away? Would he force him into a fight? Would he kill him right here? Or would he make it worse, make it last and chase him like some vagrant?_

" _Give me time, I'll gather proof, I'll convince you this was all orchestrated by someone else. I just need a day or two..."_

" _I'll give you an hour to collect your things," Regis shot back. "If you don't get out of my sight right now, I'll do something I'll regret more than exiling you. So go, now."_

" _You're making a mistake."_

" _I'm afraid I might have made it long ago."_

 _And there was no need for words then. The swords and lances spelled it out. Maybe should he have left him to rot after that first Naga attack. Maybe had it been there and then that the resentment finally got the better of him._

 _Noctis couldn't speak anymore. He needed air, he needed to get away from his accusatory eyes. He backed away, holding his father's gaze, pushing the door open and warped away from Clarus who had been waiting in the hallway. Then he ran, but his father's words followed him._

You're dead to me. How long have you been lying? Was it a mistake to keep you alive? Was it a mistake to love you? To trust you? What would your mother think? How could you do this?

…

He woke up with a start, panting, face burning, fingers cold, pulling of his tangled sheets as though they were snakes and nearly kicking Luna off the bed in his panic. The feelings were so raw, the tears prickling his eyes. Something cold and wet hit his shoulder and he looked up in a daze, his breathing still ragged. The sight greeting him took away some of the nightmare. It was snowing. Like, literally snowing, while they were in Luna's room, back in her manor. He didn't remember getting there, at least, not too well, but it seemed all the dark talks and the accusation raised by Monica and Shiva had brought back memories of his last discussion with his father. Luna rolled on her side, opening one sleepy eyes.

"Noctis?"

"Tell me it's you doing this," he asked, pointing at the ceiling.

Luna blinked as she detected the overwhelming pain in him. She'd seen him hurt and shaken, but he never sounded this lost before. And with a brief look upwards, she slowly shook her head.

"You might have absorbed some of Shiva's ice when she had you pay that toll. You've been sleeping for two days straight. And from the look on your face, you just had and horrible nightmare…"

His face darkened and he turned on his back, focusing on the ceiling. On the snow falling from it. Ice in his veins. Like the shards planted by his father's disbelief and rejection.

"I don't want to talk about it," he declared.

"So it was a memory?"

"One of the worse… Luna, I…"

Her hands on him made him want to hide and shatter next to her heart. Her eyes didn't judge, they never seemed to, but he was starting to wonder if he wasn't the one being wrong. Where had those illusions come from? Why was his magic waking up? What was happening to Ravus? Was his father okay? Or was he degrading even faster now, with all the added worries and his exile? He didn't want to cause his father pain. Never. But could he have missed something out there? Not realized that someone around the court was pulling more strings then they should? Had he gone crazy for an instant back in Insomnia? And if he did, when would it happen around Luna?

"It's okay. You don't have to tell me of it. But you can if you need to."

She kissed his chin, his cheek and something was left loose deep inside him. His lips found hers in a desperate kiss, his hands gripping to her, one cupping her head, the other running down her side as he gathered her closer. The crushing turned to soft, lingering motions, his mouth pleading, demanding and giving all in turns. Luna whimpered, because this was the first time she'd seen him awake since they'd gotten back to the manor, where the three of them had collapsed, first both men, then the Oracle. She'd been worried about him, worried that he felt used under all the chivalrous attitude he put up for her. The snow kept falling as they kissed, softly, sweetly, until his breath gave out to a sob and he finally hid in her arms.

"I want to help," Luna whispered, stroking his hair.

He couldn't hold anything back then, and he realized that he didn't want to. If he was ready to put his life on the line for her, what were a few confidences?

"He won't believe me." He's my dad and I miss him, and I want to make sure he's fine, but he won't believe me."

His voice shook in place and Luna wondered if he had permit himself to live through this pain before. To acknowledge it, as he ran from his home, from his friends and moreover, from his family.

"Oh Noct. Maybe I can help. I'll do everything I can…"

"I won't turn into a burden. You already…"

"Don't speak nonsense. With everything you've gone through for me, isn't this the least I can do?"

"When I think back on the last time I saw him, I wonder if he's still even… truly my father. He looked like him, but at the same time…"

"Don't think like that. We'll get an audience with the king. If we need to find your brother, I'll get the truth out of him."

He wanted to tell her how much he needed her away from Ravus. From everything wrong in his life. Instead, he sniffled and tried to recover from the tears.

"I can't believe you've talked me into going back there."

"I'm sorry. I know I've been asking for way too much lately…"

"Is this about Shiva?"

She tried to nod but he stole a kiss from her and Luna couldn't help the smile that grew on her face, until she felt the need to answer his embrace with a gentle fire. It was getting so natural to be in his arms. To rely on each other. They had opened up slowly, but it never seemed to be about the important things. Noctis talking about his father almost shocked her. Maybe just as much as he'd been shocked the first time she'd cried in front of him. But they were both human. Both in need of as much support as they could get.

"You should ask me more. I don't feel fulfilled yet," he told her.

"I know that smile. But you should eat…"

His next words made her blush despite everything they'd done together. Somehow, the rushed up sex was shifting into something tender. Her heart shook every time his eyes covered her with desire and that sparkle that was starting to look like love. She didn't want to think that word. She didn't want to lose him and was already so close to losing herself when it came to Noctis. But they might just find each other, beneath the warrior princess and the runaway prince. They were slowly learning where to look.

And they were both ready to look.

To be continued…

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Since this chapter was extra long, no smut, sadly, but there should be enough of it in next chapter. Do you care for another couple than Noct/Luna? I'm sort of tempted to give Ignis and Aranea a bit of fun times. Noct and Luna are still the main focus of this story XD

Also, I wanted to move along the story and we've crossed an important stage. Things are well settled for the future of this story. I'll try to bring out next chapter before the end of the year, but I really don't know if I'll manage it. As always, reviews motivate me. :D


	7. Don't speak, just scream

Okay, so this chapter was almost entirely written in one day. Well, a good part of last night -I was still up at 3 am, someone save me!- and this morning. I wanted to get it done before I left to see my family. We have Raviris and Noctluna, lots of smut, and also fluff. A tad of angst too. Things are moving along. I hope you'll like this chapter. I'm not… entirely certain with every part of it, but I wanted to post something before Christmas time. Enjoy!

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Stranded

Chapter 6 – Don't speak, just scream

Ravus was a nervous wreck when Ignis reminded him he had the day off. He remembered it all too well, he had argued with Regis and a dozen maids to get the day to himself so he could enjoy some alone time with his girlfriend. Gladiolus had put him through the toughest training sessions of his life–in the hopes he wouldn't have the energy to go on with the date according to some maids talking in his back. To top it all, Ardyn had been teasing him about being such a child for getting nervous over the whole prospect. But no one understood what was going through his mind.

His father was considering letting Iris accompany him during his travels to every royal arms cache known to the Lucian royal line, but nothing was set in stone for now. And the very rare and few hours Ravus managed to have with the younger Amicitia lately had left him wanting for more. They were both growing a little bit desperate. He wanted to give her one normal day with her prince. And maybe to make her feel like a princess while he was at it. There was also the nagging voice in the back of his mind insisting on telling her the truth.

The full, undisguised truth.

 _Why did I say yes to that plan?_ He thought bitterly.

"Earth to Ravus," Gladio called, giving him a playful whack on the head.

"Hey!"

"Get that gloomy expression off your face. My sister argued with our father last night, she needs to be cheered up," the shield explained, face straight, eyes glaring at him.

Ravus nursed the spot on his head that ached from the hit, unable to find venom or even a comeback. It sounded as though Gladiolus was warming up to the idea of the crown prince dating his sister.

"While looking stupid is an improvement, you'd better put on a smile. Try it, I heard it didn't kill anyone yet."

Ravus sneered at that, although the familiar jab was welcomed in the circumstances. He was so stressed out, he might have accepted to eat fish without Ignis shoving forkfuls down his throat with Gladio holding him down. The memory reminded him how glad he was Noctis hadn't seen that with his own eyes. It was bad enough the three older guys had teamed up against him every now and then as he grew up. Not that he didn't always ask for it. He wasn't that conceited.

"Just cut down the whining. Iris can't always be your rock to face it all."

 _If I tell her, she'll never be my anything…_ he thought.

And a part of him wasn't sure how Gladiolus would take it. He hadn't been supposed to be there. Things weren't supposed to turn out that bad.

His thoughts slowed down as Gladio left him in the garden, where a few maids had set up the picnic. Iris was already sitting down on the checkered sheet, a single flower in her hair, welcoming him with a large smile. The nagging voice in the back of his mind shut down at the sight of her.

"When did you get here?" he asked, offering her his hand to pull Iris to her feet.

"At the same time my brother did."

Ravus fought against his annoyance at the mention.

"He's giving us time off. Let's enjoy it."

Her mouth was opening to extend him a real greeting, but her prince was impatient and drew her closer, leaning in for a good morning kiss. She clung to him for support, feeling a rush of desire and delicious exhilaration boiling up inside. Ravus never ever took initiatives. But he was the one who invited her for today. He made sure her favorite flowers would be waiting for her as she got home from school. He texted her back until she fell asleep on her phone. And now he was kissing her as though he hadn't seen her in days, trying to convey every sweet words he hadn't told her yet through his lips on hers and the way his tongue gently danced around hers.

"My gods," Iris whispered as they parted. "Hello to you too."

His smile made her feel too light to keep her feet on the ground.

"I've been meaning to do this for a while now," he admitted in a low voice, leaning his forehead against hers.

"What?" Iris asked.

"Kissing you on the Citadel grounds."

"That's really sweet," she sighed, her contentment turning into mischievousness as she went on. "And really unlike you. Did you eat something funny last night?"

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me'" Ravus retorted. "Like how many things I keep to myself when it comes to what I want to do with you."

He'd looked at her like that before, but never from this up close. She could feel his heat through his shirt. And she wanted to feel more. She blushed, not sure if she was supposed to feel scared or excited. The mix of both was good enough for her right now.

"I hope you do want a picnic first," she warned him, cupping his jaw with one hand and nibbling at his lower lip, pulling away before he could fully kiss her again. "I'm starving."

Breakfast went out a lot better than Ravus had expected. They'd eaten together before, but he was used to protocol and also to have his father and her brother around, watching over them. When it wasn't Regis or Gladio, it was Ignis or Jared, or even worse, Talcott.

"I mean it. Daffodils are the best."

"You can say all you want. My favorite flower is right here. And she doesn't make me sneeze in spring."

Her flushed cheeks made her look even sweeter and Ravus had to admit, his thoughts were veering away from his initial goal. He'd been meaning to give her the best day of her life. Not to woo her while he was at it. But maybe if he made her really, really happy, the truth wouldn't sound as bad? What kind of childish logic was that? Why couldn't he just come out and say it instead of making small talks and trying to make her laugh and blush like this?

"You don't have to be like that," she assured him, wrapping her arms around her legs as she shifted uneasily under his loving stare.

If he'd known that him taking the first steps made her this flustered, he would have started a long time ago.

"Like what?" Ravus shot back.

"Charming. I like the normal, every-day Ravus."

"Ouch. I'm that bad?"

"Well, it's still the same guy. It's him I was supposed to meet today."

"Disappointed?"

"Not yet…" Iris answered truthfully.

 _Don't tell her. Just keep things good,_ the voice was starting to say.

There was no point in ruining a nice day, was it?

"Okay, how do I keep you entertained to make sure not disappointment shows?"

"Well, I have an idea, but it depends on how alone we truly are…" Iris pointed out.

They agreed to run a few tests instead of inspecting the garden. It started out with cloud gazing and more talking. No politics, no mention to Noctis or either of their fathers. Iris did want to talk about his upcoming travel. Telling him she could drive in Ignis's stead if needed, to which Ravus retorted that he wasn't the one she needed to convince. He wanted her by his side whenever possible. It was her gasp that made him realize he'd said it out loud. Next thing he knew, she was lying on top of him and kissing him, hard, her lips tasting like the giddiest smile he'd felt on her yet.

"Iris, calm down," he pleaded, overwhelmed by the sudden closeness and a feeling between vulnerability and ache.

"Kiss me back, Rave."

He was too happy to comply, forgetting where they were, forgetting that this hadn't been part of his plans for the day. He'd been wanting her for so damn long.

His hands wanted to touch everyplace and her blouse, while light, was still too much of a barrier between them. He pulled it out of her shorts while the young girl unbuttoned his shirt, her fingers tentatively brushing his chest. Following the contour of his pecs, running down his undefined abs. Squeezing one arm as he rolled her to the side, hips pushing instinctively against hers. Murmurs brought them out of their haze, both teenagers panting, face flushed and lips red from making out.

"It seems we aren't quite that alone," he whispered to her, leaning his head on her chest an instant as he tried gathering the will to part from her.

"I don't want to stop," Iris murmured back, ruffling his hair.

Her caresses were gentle and her skin felt incredibly soft.

"Let's take this somewhere else," he offered before to kiss the corner of her mouth.

They tried to act nonchalant as they headed back to the palace, taking a few detours in the gardens to evade potential chaperon. Ravus's quarters were always safe and Iris had visited his room more than once. It still fell awkward to look at each other, brimming with new desires when all the memories they shared in this room were quite innocent. Their first kiss had happened here. She'd slept in his bed once, with him on the floor, after she'd snuck into the castle because of a particularly intense fight between Gladio and Clarus.

Looking at each other, they both wondered if they weren't making a mistake. Iris simply had no idea why Ravus looked _that_ reluctant.

"This doesn't have to be awkward," Iris stated, undoing one button on her blouse. "It's not because we knew each other since we were kids that…"

Ravus felt the need to swallow, but his throat was too tight.

"Oh, come on, don't say stuff like that."

She gathered her courage and dropped the blouse on the floor. They both knew this might be their last chance before his departure. And something about the very idea felt wrong to him. But his brain wanted to give up logical thoughts. The girl he liked was standing in his room with her bra in plain view, a shy smile on her face, skin pale and flushed and...

"You love me?" Iris asked him.

"I do" he answered, voice rumbling with need.

Iris walked up to him, shivering under his eyes and trembling just a bit as he wrapped his arms around her. But she reached for him and it was more than encouragement then he needed. They didn't collapse on the bed right away, Ravus sitting with her in his lap, shrugging his shirt off. Skin on skin as their lips locked in a heated dance. He unclasped her bra on his first try, caressing her back in slow, deliberate motions. One of his hands felt rougher, thanks to the burn scars still healing, but Iris was too overwhelmed to mind it. She wasn't even sure if she could mind it. She was straddling him and kissing him back, trying to catch her breath in between the hard-long-full-tongue kisses Ravus had gotten so good at. Not that she had any comparison. He was her first crush, her first everything.

He pulled her closer, relishing her light moan as he kissed a path down her chin, to the hollow of her neck, down one clavicle. Her arms held him close, pulling on his hair when he found a spot that was particularly sensitive. Ravus liked the way she reacted to his fingers on her spine. The tension that turned to shivers and goosebumps.

"Are you… really okay with this?"

"I am. I want this."

He had no words to answer her, he didn't even trust his voice with his heart up in his throat.

When her back hit the mattress, her boyfriend towering above her, Iris had to admit she felt small and shy once more. But she let him uncover her, trying to keep her eyes on his face and not to let her modesty get the better of her. She was young and her breasts were small, perky at best, but Ravus marveled at the sight. She felt pretty under his stare, and while the first touches were nerve-wrecking, there was something incredibly liberating about letting him see and touch where no one else ever had. She felt beyond vulnerable, but also freer than usual.

"Iris…"

"Kiss me," she pleaded.

Ravus halted himself right there, feeling his guilt rushing back as her legs parted to let him closer, his hands on her thighs, her fingers drawing shivers and goosebumps on his chest. Wasn't it wrong if he didn't admit his fault? If he used her trust like this?

"There's something… something you need to know."

She frowned at him and his throat suddenly felt tighter than before. It felt so right to be here, this close to her and he wanted nothing more than to hide his face against her chest and kiss her till her moans and gasps would turn to screams that would draw the entire palace to the door.

 _But she'll learn it eventually_ , he thought.

Ignis had had news of Noctis's activities. His brother was in the North, in Tenebrae, siding with the warrior princess Lunafreya Nox Fleuret has bodyguard and first lieutenant of her army. Rumour had it, the princess was coming to Lucis because that was were the empire was running to avoid her.

 _She needs to know. She might just… understand, won't she?_

"Is this about your birthmark?"

"What?! No, that has nothing to do with… Who even told yo…?! No, I won't get sidetracked, I should have told you a while ago already."

His hands on her suddenly felt cold and Iris turned two shades paler.

"What… What's wrong?"

"I… You know, when Noctis attacked me… I did something before that. Something I…"

The softness in her eyes shifted and Ravus fought against the knot in his throat.

"Noctis didn't… You have to understand I was at the end of my rope. Ardyn said…"

She pushed him away, all the gentleness gone from her. And he should have known her thoughts would go to her own brother.

"Speak now and speak fast, because if I'm understanding what I think I am, you're in deep shit, your highness."

"Iris…"

She screamed when he reached for her. And his heart break as he finally realized just how wrong his decision had been. He hadn't only betrayed his family. In a haze, he explained the plan they had. He tried not to cry and beg for forgiveness, because he didn't see how she could forgive this. How could he even think she would…?

"You risked my brother's life so you could get rid of Noctis?! All because you were insecure and still listening to that creep!"

Her first outraged scream gathered people to the door indeed.

…

It was the last night before Prompto, Noctis and Luna would leave for Lucis. They were heading to Accordo first, since it was the most direct route for Tenebrae and Gentiana/Shiva insisted on getting along with the Hydraen. Noctis and Luna hadn't had a lot of chance to talk since the ordeal with Shiva. Monica was going to hold the fort for much longer than she'd bargained for and Luna had planning to do while Noctis was training the troop even more intensively than before. Prompto was his right hand man now and both of them got along better. They would share a beer every now and then and although Prompto was still a pain when it came to keep a conversation civil, Noctis was appreciated the fact he could let his guard down around the man.

Lunafreya had retired for the night earlier than him and was already lying in bed when Noctis walked in. It was starting to feel really weird to have people still calling him Cael. He pushed his few questions aside, quickly walking up to the bed where his princess laid.

"You took your time," she observed, not even looking up at him.

Noctis kneeled by her side, leaning down till he was just above her, replacing a strand of her hair.

"I didn't mean to keep you waiting," he apologized, his lips grazing her neck.

There was something all too familiar about those gestures and while they had promised each other to spend some quality time together for their last night in Tenebrae, Lunafreya felt a strange reaction coursing through her. Anger mixing with a longing that wouldn't be satisfied by heat and caresses. She turned her back on him, not saying a word.

"What's wrong?" he asked, wondering if he'd miss a sign. "Are you sulking?"

"No… I just don't feel like…"

He couldn't remember a moment when Luna had refused him since they'd started sleeping together. Of course, he didn't make advances on her every single night. And when she was the one taking the initiative, they'd ended up having sex whether he felt up for it or not.

"This is the last time we're sure to have real privacy…"

"I know," Luna retorted. "But it's starting to feel so casual…"

Noctis lied down next to her, sneaking one arm under her waist, gently turning her around so she would face him. Much to his own surprise, she looked shaken up. His heart missed a beat and his mind went back over the few last days. Did something really out of the ordinary happen? Was there an anniversary of something he didn't know of?

"Casual?" he repeated, his voice carefully tempered to a soft whisper.

"Like you're servicing me as the soldier that warms my bed."

Her hands covered her face as she spoke and she blinked too fast. Tears were threatening to fall.

"Hey, don't cry, that's not… I'm not servicing you. My shift has ended and we… we're lovers."

She mouthed the word, testing it, and from the look in her eyes, he could tell she was fighting against the tears. He shuffled closer to her, kissing her forehead, a gesture that nearly broke her. She knew he cared, but she was terrified to know how deep that caring went.

"I said no strings," Luna started. "We're a team, working towards the same goal. Partners. And now I'm using your life force to get stronger, claiming what should have been your legacy."

He tensed at that, but didn't approve of her words.

"I willingly accepted to go through with it," Noctis reminded her. I can't forge covenants. If you can, you will help protect Lucis, no matter how little you care for… my father's people. Let me help."

"That's not… We've been so good at keeping things apart. But the lines are all blurred and now I'm afraid…"

If she let him walk back into Lucis, wouldn't he find people he knew, wouldn't he miss home too much and refuse to stay with her after their travel? What if Prompto gave up on them and let Noctis take the entire toll of the covenant on his shoulders?

"I love you, Noct," she blurted out, unable to hold it back anymore.

Her confession hit him like a ton of bricks. Something deep inside him had known. He wasn't blind. But… Could it be real? Wasn't it his imagination playing tricks on him? He had been tricked into getting exiled from his own country for the attempted murder of his younger brother. He was a defect prince and a barely trained mage. He was an attentive lover, but did she really need that when she could have anyone she wanted?

He couldn't answer her right away, as he tried to adapt himself to the idea that she could love him for him. Just for that weird Cael runaway she'd taken under her wing, who was taciturn, but also protective and willing to please at all cost.

"I'm scared, Noct," she breathed through the tears that ran down her face.

"I'm terrified," he whispered back. "You have to know I love you too. So much. I held it back, because I thought just keeping what we had was enough. I never meant…"

She cut him off right there, smiling a bit. "I know. Me too."

"Dry those tears now," Noctis asked her.

"I can't… I didn't want to cry to begin with, but I bottled up my feelings for so long, it's like a broken dam."

"But we love each other? We've said it. What else do you need?"

"The people I love… They either die or disappear. At least usually."

Noctis gulped down. They were the same. So scared of losing each other that they would pretend like they didn't belong together to begin with. At least, not in the deeper, most meaningful meaning.

"I won't disappear. And I won't leave you either. At least, not willingly."

"I don't want promises. I don't want to be that kind of girl. I want to smile and not to cry, but…"

He hugged her close, trying to get his mind around the fact the woman he loved loved him back.

"Can you say it again?"

Luna sniffed as she looked up into his eyes.

"That you… How can you even love me?" he ended up asking, sounding incredulous.

"How can I not? You're kind, and selfless and strong, even headstrong. You helped me stay realistic during the past few months. You saved me. And you did keep me warm at night."

"This country is far too cold," Noctis teased her.

She chuckled at that and felt whatever was left of her anger and fear vanishing.

"Noct… Would you kiss me?"

She sounded shy and that side of her felt new. As though things had changed between them. He had kissed so many times already, she really didn't need to ask. But he found an even better answer and couldn't help himself.

"If you're inclined, I'll make love to you, Lunafreya."

The princess blinked.

"Wasn't that what we've been doing for the past months?"

"I don't know if I'd call it that," Noctis explained. "Somehow, I was always… holding something back."

"Me too. If you were to leave or vanish, I couldn't… Wait a minute," she almost ordered him as he moved in for a kiss. "No tongue, no teeth, no… Just keep it sweet. As though this was the first time."

They both blushed, having the impression they'd skipped every normal step. He wanted to ask her if neither of the thousand kisses he'd given her already had been sweet, but deep down he knew why she asked this. It still made him more self-aware and he pushed the guilt away.

"I… I can try."

He cupped her face with one hand, nestling her head in his hold, leaning on top as he kept his other arm around her. Luna reached for his face, feeling just as hesitant as him. His lips brushed against hers in a butterfly kiss, the touch blooming into a gentle dance. He kept it slow, tugging on her lower lip, stroking her cheek, kissing the corner of her mouth, growing more demanding as she started massaging his scalp. He broke away from her with a smile on his face when Luna's tongue darted out.

"You said no…!"

"I'm sorry," she cut him off, fighting against her own smirk. "I… I want more."

Her hands were trailing a path down his sides and his smile turned cocky. Her blush was enough to convince him and he raised himself up long enough to help her out of her night gown.

"I need you," Noctis breathed against her lips. "But first, I'm going to do what I've meant to the first night you pulled me into your bed."

Her eyes shone with curiosity and she didn't have to beg for an answer.

"I'm going to worship every inch of your body, Luna."

The notion sent a jolt through her system and he muted any sensible protest for his choice of words. His heart could burst out of his chest right now, because he couldn't remember a time where he'd love someone so much and had the right to show it. To the full extent of what love meant. Their next kisses were nothing but heat and passion, her hands tugging on his clothes, discarding them one by one. When their mouth parted, it was for the exiled prince to kiss her neck, deliberately slow, alternating between loving bites, gentle licks and all the nuzzling he dared. Luna arched and moaned under his touch, her reactions stronger than usual. But while she seemed to melt under his lips, she drew circles and threads of shiver all over him. She reached for his cock, eliciting a dozen groans from him but Noctis didn't let her tease him for long. He wanted to drive her crazy first.

"Keep me in your arms," she begged as he raised himself higher, the cool air reaching between them.

"So needy."

She blushed and the flush was reaching her neck.

"Sor…"

"No, Luna, I like it. I love this side of you. Just let me set the pace for this time. I won't let go of you," he swore to her.

His head leaned back to the crook of her shoulder and she felt his nose against her skin. His hands splayed on her back as he pulled her chest to his face. And the worshipping started, one gasp turning into moan at a time. Luna had been certain he'd kissed her everywhere already, but she felt more naked than usual. Hyper-sensitive too. His hands held her with more than simple need. He felt possessive, and caring and more intent on pleasing her than ever. She tried to hold his head to one spot, tried to muffle her reactions. A flick of the tongue could have been enough to send her over the edge. He kissed a scar under her left breast, kissed every scar his eyes could see.

He'd told her once why he didn't mind any of them. _"This scar kept you alive. You healed and now you're here… with me."_

They had argued and he had felt foolish for letting her see how much he cared, but Luna was quick to dismiss any words exchanged in the heat of passion. Now, she was realizing how long he'd loved her. How long had she looked at him and been blind? His hands slipped down her sides, gripped her hips, jerking her up before to turn back to soft caresses.

The words they exchanged felt too simple. She wanted his arms, his warmth and in the haze, he couldn't pull away from her, not even to think about the consequences of rushing things. His first thrust was rough, a race for connection, but she welcomed the slight pain. It mirrored the ache in their chest. The need to break the last barriers between them.

"Slower?"

She hummed in his ear, nibbling at his earlobe as she matched his rhythm to perfection. His arms made her feel precious, the sloppy kisses on her collarbone drawing a smile on her face, his hips driving her to lustful madness. Her arms couldn't have lied limply at her side as she absorbed it all, but Luna couldn't accept injustice, even when he'd insisted on setting their pace. She pinched one of his nipples, relishing his shuddering gasp as she clenched around him.

Had he ever said her name in such a throaty voice before? Her heart was soaring just from the sounds of his ragged breaths.

"Turn us around."

"I can't last much longer…"

"Please, Noct."

He didn't part from her as they shifted places. There was an instant of pure pain, their body begging for release, but Luna held it off, settling for an uneven rhythm that denied him climax. He almost whimpered when she pushed him back down on the bed.

"Feeling lonely?" she teased, holding his left arm next to his head.

"I don't get to be held? After how much you insisted?"

His voice was rough now, his eyes barely holding on to hers. Luna reached behind her, feeling him tense at the new touch.

"I am holding you," she observed, squeezing him.

"I didn't mean… Oh shit," He swore, hips trashing.

Through sheer will, Noctis turned them to the side, focusing on his jerks and thrusts as he claimed her mouth for a kiss that mimicked their desperate motions. Her scream of pleasure was music to his ears and he barely remembered he couldn't stay inside her this time. Her legs were wrapped around him, he could barely sense her hands on him. Was she touching his face? His back? Was he still holding her right? He was a tangle of shivers and raw nerves.

"Luna…" Longing and warning mixed together, his fingers reaching between them.

They were rough against her clit, promising her a mind-shattering orgasm and she nearly lost it right there.

"I want it, Noct," she whispered. "I love you, all of you."

He had more sweet words for her, although he wasn't sure they turned out right as he spoke. She was pulling on his hair and he was kissing her again, her lips, her chin, her nose, and his thoughts faded as the tension ripped through him and her teeth dug into his neck.

Luna held on to him even tighter, her own release wracking through her body. Mind ablaze with pleasure.

For the longest time, they stayed wrapped around each other, still connected, still shivering, Luna sighing with contentment. Noctis kissed her once more, painfully slow, maybe to erase the rush they were still riding with something sweeter? She whined into his mouth and he whined right back.

Parting for air was torture, but the smile they shared warmed their heart.

"We can't sleep in a tent," she stated, trying to hold back her lazy laugh.

She felt so relaxed now, she didn't want to move, unless it meant getting closer to him.

"We can't leave tomorrow, you mean! If I'd known…"

The regrets in his voice made her realize how much more she wanted with him. And not only sex.

"I should have told you on that first night," she confessed.

"You weren't ready to risk your heart. At least not… openly. I was the same. I've lost the people I loved so many times. But you're the first…"

Noctis was sure how to put how he felt into words. He had been with other girls, but the connection had never felt that strong. It had never hurt this much to think of a life without them. But without her.

"You're making me so much stronger than I feel. And bolder too."

"Oh really?" he asked her teasingly.

"I've never let anyone… this close before. To know parts of me I didn't even know about. It used to scare me, but now I feel…"

"Lighter?" Noctis suggested.

She nodded, stroking his hair as he gathered her close. They snuggled together for an instant, enjoying each other's warmth and trying to fully come back from their love-making. But since they'd admitted their feelings, neither of them wanted to leave things unclear. They had dealt with ambiguity long enough.

"What now?" her lover inquired.

"Well, I've already tied you to me in too many ways. Asking for anything more…"

"I'm yours if you're mine," he cut her off, sounding dead serious.

Luna couldn't believe that blush that came on her cheeks, not after everything they'd shared and done together.

"I… I want to be yours, Noct. And in a way, I am. But Tenebrae…"

"Did I ask you to give up on Tenebrae? I won't take you away from your duties. I'm not looking for princess Lunafreya. I want my lady Luna, whenever the princess has enough free time to look my way."

She forced her laugh, trying to channel calm to her heart, which was beating too fast. Hot and crude Noctis was one thing. But the sweet, charming version of the man? She wasn't sure she could handle that.

"I'm happy to look at you at any time. But I don't want to keep you from Lucis… When we go back, if we can fix things…"

"Don't. Don't push me away for a reason like that, Luna. I will always miss Lucis… But I don't need it to be happy. And I never asked you to fix things for me."

"Don't expect me not to try it. All I'm saying is… Right now, we love each other, because we need each other. I gave you shelter and…"

It was no surprise why they'd waited this long to fess up about their feelings.

Noctis stole a kiss and a few more, until she stopped raising questions about the possibility of their love falling apart.

"Enjoy the present, Luna. Tell me what you'd want. Outside of the covenants, the protection against Niffs and keeping Prompto serious," he suggested.

She pondered his question and gave him a doubtful look.

"I don't want this to sound weird," Luna started. "But maybe we could… go on a date or two? If we can pretend we're not royalty that is…"

His face fell a bit. A wave of shame engulfed him.

"That's… of course we can. Why didn't you ask before?!"

"Because we were keeping it casual."

Noctis had to admit that all the secrets they kept didn't help in building a "normal" relationship. He had been content with holding her in his arms as often as possible. But he had been wanting more, while refusing to ask. They had confided in so many things, it seems crazy to admit how little they had talked of what they wanted when it came to themselves. Not the country or the cause they served.

"Are we coming clean to your army too?"

"Our army" she corrected him. "We really should, especially before we leave. But if we do, we tell them everything. About us _and_ about your real name."

She knew how hard that would be for him, but he didn't raise any objection. On the next morning, they were shocked to hear huzzahs from the Tenebraean soldiers. Wedge actually pumped his fist, Biggs hanging his head. It was clear to see who had lost their little bet.

"You all knew?" Luna mused, appalled that she hadn't been better at hiding it.

"If they didn't, you were loud enough last night to confirm their doubts," Prompto mocked them.

"Careful, bro, or I'll kick you off the airship on our way to Altissia," Noctis warned.

"What can I say, the room I asked is too close to yours. And don't worry, I won't ask for details. For someone so prude, you sound quite… energetic."

Noctis punched him in the shoulder for good measure, unable to hold back his grin. He should have been worried for what was waiting for them, but he felt too happy to care. Luna's smile had never looked so bright and knowing she felt this much joy was all that mattered to him right now.

To be continued…

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I will be with my family for the next few days, so don't expect updates before a moment. Unexpected is the next on my list, and surely the last thing I'll update for 2017. I hope you have a nice holiday time. My best wishes to you all. As always, review makes me happy. :D


	8. Confiding and threats

This chapter pretty much wrote itself. I'd like to thank Fuzzi Fox for beta reading this and supporting me through this chapter. It was a pretty cathartic venting occasion for me, so you can expect Iris to be pretty harsh with Ravus down here. We get some sort of idea about what Ardyn is planning, Cindy is introduced to the story and I hope you'll laugh with the second half of this chapter. Enjoy your read!

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Stranded

Chapter 7 – Confiding and threats

" _You risked my brother's life so you could get rid of Noctis?! All because you were insecure and still listening to that creep!"_

How was he even supposed to answer anything that could clear his name when she put it like that?

Iris was still close to him, physically speaking, but suddenly, everywhere they touched was wrong and she pushed on his chest, struggling to part from him and hide herself at the same time.

"Give me a chance here…"

"A chance? I can't believe I let you see me like this. I… Get off me!"

He obeyed her instantly, shuffling backward, his shoulders too low, his breathing messy from the thoughts running around his head. He was losing her. The one person that gave a meaning to everything in his life, the one support he couldn't do without.

"I'm sorry, Iris, I swear I didn't mean for Gladio to…"

Iris was standing next to his bed now, one arm clutching around herself to hide her perky breasts. Goosebumps covered her pale flesh and there was a shaking in her frame, giving him the urge to wrap her in a hug. Was he losing that too?

"Shut it, Rave. Do you listen to yourself?! Wait, I forgot, you do nothing but that. You're the poor, misunderstood second-born, the crystal chosen."

He flinched from the venom in her words, his eyes looking away for an instant. Holding her glare was too much too ask, but he had to, he needed to get her to come around if…

"What will your father say?!"

His eyes widened with fear.

"You can't… Iris, he barely gives me the time of the day as it is…"

"You took away his favorite son! You broke his heart and your family all because you were too insecure to see you have an incredible life! And if your father shouldn't know of this, how was I supposed to react, huh? Noctis was my friend and I treated him like a criminal all because I believed you over him!"

Tears rolled down her face now, angry, disappointed tears and Ravus wasn't sure his own tears wouldn't fall. He'd ruined it. His family. His integrity. The little love he had from her.

"Iris, can you listen to me? I… My powers were getting all out of whack. I can barely use fire magic anymore and…"

"Do you still believe Noctis was stealing your magic? Don't you think that if he wasn't already, now he won't try if he can with what you did? When will you grow up?! You don't get your own brother exiled for something like that. You talk with your father, not the creep working as his counselor."

Her hands fell by her hips after her tirade, as though being half naked in front of him didn't bother her as much as her anger for him. Ravus could barely breathe by then, he wasn't sure how his legs were holding him up or when he had gotten to his feet. All he knew was that she stood just a few steps away from him and she'd never felt this far before.

"You're right, okay," he started, his voice shaking a bit as he went on, "you're entirely right, and you don't have to forgive me. I just… Is there any way I can fix this?"

The brunette stared at him, her eyes almost bulging from her face. He sounded pathetic even to himself, but he didn't saw anything else to say.

"Fix this?! Noctis could be dead by now!"

"He's not!" came his instant reply and they were both shocked by the conviction in his voice.

"What do you think he'll do to you if he learns of this? Forget it, Gladio will break every bone in your body before skinning you alive and Ignis will find a recipe for human toes and fingers like he used to threaten us as kids."

"What will _you_ do?" Ravus asked, taking a tentative step towards her, only for her to take a step backward.

"I'll block your number and find friends I can trust, and you can forget ever seeing me naked. I feel so dirty now. You played me for a fool along with everyone else, you willingly put my brother in danger, you thought about nothing but yourself, like you always, always do… Why do I still feel sorry for you, Rave?"

A whimper wrecked through his throat. She pitied him now. Tears were still rolling down her cheeks, and she blinked them away furiously as he found his voice again.

"I don't think you're a fool, Iris," the crown prince whispered.

"Well, I'm glad you had enough respect for me to tell me the truth _now_. I just thought you'd talk with me when you were faced with this big of a problem…"

He grimaced at that. Iris used to be his confidante. This confession shed light on how much he was ready to confide in her -which wasn't enough- and he could admit her advice might have helped him make a different choice if he'd… But it was done. It was done and over and he wanted to salvage something, anything among the rubble.

"Iris…"

"Stop saying my name like that!" she cut him off.

She sounded distressed now and he shivered as goosebumps raised on his arms. He was doing this to her. He was hurting her, when he never meant…

"You always said people make mistakes. I know this was a monumental mistake I made, I know this can't… For Ramuh's sake, I can't stand the thought you hate me."

Iris crossed her arms in front of her chest, trying to contain the worst of her anger.

"I can't start hating you all of a sudden. I wish I could, but I can't, you're my best friend." She laughed at herself at that. "I need better friends, don't you think?"

Oh six, she was killing him. The tears finally got through the barrage of his pale lashes and Iris didn't stop.

"But don't think begging and kneeling down or teary pleading will get you anywhere. I know your true colors now."

 _That's not who I really am. That can't be who I really am._

He said something that came out incoherent and she heaved a dreadful, broken laugh.

"I think I need to get out of here. If I stay, I might just attack you and you're still next in line."

"I'd rather you'd punch me," he retorted.

"If I do, won't you try to hold me down? To talk sense into me with your hands and your arms? I won't take a chance."

She was backing away now, almost slipping on her blouse which was lying haphazardly on the floor. She didn't motion to pick it back up. She was livid and too far gone to think clearly. Ravus repeated her name, wondering if it might ever bring her back to him. The door to his room was shut with a bang as she stalked out and he sank to his knees, a wretched mess compared to the cautiously happy young man he'd been half an hour earlier.

Right out the door, Gladiolus had been alerted from the commotion by maid and cursed out loud at the sight of his sister walking out of the prince's room half naked and furious. He instantly removed his jacket and hurriedly wrapped it into her shoulders, forced to use his strength to actually halt her.

"Let me go!" she pleaded, more tears streaking down her face.

"Iris! What the hell did that bastard do to you?!"

"He didn't force me into anything, nothing really happened, I mean…"

 _Oh god, I'm trying to cover for him like I usually do…_

"He's a dick and a jerk and I never want to see him again, but I need to see the King right now…"

"No, you need to get dressed and calm down!" Gladiolus insisted, his hands wrapped tightly around her shoulders.

That seemed to help her realize where she stood, and she clutched at the large jacket around her, her self-consciousness fully back. Her cheeks warmed, but she fought against her urge to hide between his arms.

"I'm going to break his face, and get fired for it, but I won't accept this."

"Well, he's owed a punch or two, but I don't want you worrying about me, Gladdy. He didn't hurt me."

 _He hurt you. And everyone else._

"Why are you crying?" Gladiolus pressed her.

She could have told him the truth right there, but deep inside, she was afraid of how her brother might handle this knowledge. She didn't want Ravus in the hospital. Bruised and sorry, sure, but not beaten to a pulp.

"Ravus lied to me about something. And I don't think I can accept it. I need to talk with the King."

"I'll escort you…"

"I know the way, brother. Just make sure Rave doesn't try and follow me, okay?"

"Iris…"

"Please, I'll explain it to you later, I need to talk with King Regis first. Trust me?"

"Okay. Just don't get us expelled from the citadel. You know how dad likes his job."

The clumsy attempt at humor made her smile and Gladiolus could picture his sister almost back to normal.

"Don't break any of his bones, okay?"

"Just a little," he promised her, pulling her in a brief hug. "And text me or dad as soon as you're out of the throne room."

"Okay, stop ordering me around already."

They parted with one last worried look from Gladio, Iris walking off with a determined expression on her face. She was going to tell Regis the truth about Noctis's exile and see if she couldn't right some wrongs before Ardyn could get any more control over the court.

…

Iris pretty much barged into the throne room, making her father jump up a step and Regis dropped his paperwork in his haste to check who was entering the room with such a lack of decorum.

"Iris!" Clarus exclaimed. "What's the meaning of…"

"I need an audience with the King, I'm sorry for intruding your Highness, but what I have to tell you cannot wait."

Regis blinked, taking note of the jacket she was wearing -clearly not hers- and the tear streaks on her face.

"Is everything alright?"

"No, your Highness, everything is not alright. I think you'd better sit down. And father, I'm not sure you want to hear this right now."

"All the more reason I stay here. Why are you wearing your brother's jacket? What happened with your hair? You look like you just…" Clarus stopped mid-sentence, realization hitting him. "Was today your date with the prince?"

Regis paled as he slowly drew the same conclusions as Clarus, seeing his friend growing red in the face.

"My son wouldn't…" the King started. "Tell me my son didn't try anything untoward, because if he has, the six help me…"

Iris blushed as she wondered how to explain her state of clothing was more due to her willingness to be untoward with his son than the opposite.

"No, your High…"

"Call me Regis, Iris, this is sounding ridiculous. Come up here. Clarus, my friend, I think you should respect your daughter's wish to speak of this alone. She's embarrassed enough as it is. Unless you tell me you don't trust me around her, like you don't trust my boy?"

"With all the respect you're due, old friend, your boy is a conceited prick… And he clearly made my daughter cry!"

"Daddy, please, Gladiolus is already defending my honor even if he doesn't have to! This is not about whatever has happened between Ravus and me."

Regis ran one hand over his face, wondering if he shouldn't prepare himself to give a serious scolding to the crown prince. They hadn't talked in a while. Clarus exchanged a few words with his daughter, awkwardly patting her shoulder as he tried to convey he wouldn't let her on her own if she needed help or advice. Iris was standing at the middle of the stair when her father closed the door behind him, clearly embarrassed to stand any higher in the throne room, but Regis gestured for her to join him on top. He gave her a few minutes to collect her thoughts and heaved a deep sighed as she wrung her fingers.

"No need to sugarcoat things for me, Iris," the King said. "I know my son can be rash."

"I fear this is not about Ravus being rash, your… Regis." Iris began, her voice switching from sure to hesitant.

Regis had banished Noctis for trying to kill his brother. What would he do to Ravus once he knew the truth of the matter? But how could she stand for this awful lie and how unfair the whole situation was?

"Do you remember how Noctis defended himself about that night, over a year ago? About seeing a daemon attacking Ravus instead of Gladiolus?"

The King's features instantly hardened and anger showed in his eyes.

"I do remember. Far too well."

Iris could tell she had to tread carefully now. Regis hated being remembered of that event and his eyes had a dangerous glint to them. For the first few months, he'd been weakened and extra sensitive to any mention to his elder son. But he'd grown bitter about the whole mess and the impression he'd never really knew Noctis like he thought he did.

"Noctis wasn't lying," Iris heard herself saying. "Ravus told me that he did something that day. So that illusions would fill the courtroom. My brother wasn't supposed to be there, Ravus simply wanted to rile Noctis up until an accident happened and he could make sure he wouldn't threaten him anymore."

"And how would he…?"

"Ardyn helped Ravus. He was part of the plan. The first goal was to get Noctis arrested, hospitalized, at least incapacitated until Ravus could confirm whether his older brother was stealing his powers from him."

How she'd sat through Ravus's confused explanations was beyond her. Pondering her words for him, she wondered if she shouldn't have been harsher. What decent guy tried to incapacitate his own brother instead of just asking someone he trusted about his magic first?!

Regis's hands were gripping the armrests of his throne so hard, his knuckles were whiter than snow.

"Do you realize the gravity of…?!"

"Your Highness, I beg you to believe me. Ravus was ashamed to tell me, but he felt too conflicted not to… Have you not wondered why Noctis would suddenly attack his own brother after all this time? They've fought in the past, but Noct was one of your top generals. He had friends, a house he didn't need to pay for, he could protect his people and help his aging father with his work. You know he loves you more than anything in the world."

"This…" Regis was so pale, Iris was afraid he'd pass out, but he got to his feet instead, a shaking running up his bad leg. "Tell me you have proof. Noctis cannot steal Ravus's powers, that's ludicrous."

"Tell that to Ravus. If you ask him, he'll confess, he feels guilty enough for it. I don't think he thought this through, you know how he is when he gets scared, he reacts out of the blue and…"

"Enough!" Regis snapped.

Iris flinched at his commanding tone, but the King quickly calmed down, a mix of despair and guilt taking over as his shoulders hunched down.

"Are you telling me… My Noctis was exiled for nothing?! This is the first I'm hearing of Ravus losing any of his powers, how could he…"

 _Ardyn,_ he thought. _I should have known Ardyn was a bad influence on him. What kind of father lets his son believe he should talk of his problems with his counselor first instead of…?_

"I'm really sorry, but it sounds like…"

Regis took a step forward, his hands reaching to her shoulders as though he was looking for support, which was understandable given the news he'd just learned. There was a strange sound echoing in the throne room, like wings clapping and a gust of wind made Iris blink. Regis felt the blade in his flesh before he could react. The brunette gasped as he leaned forward almost immediately afterwards, not expecting the scrapping of his beard against her neck. A metallic scent in the air alarmed her even more, but a voice tsked.

"You bad, bad girl. Forcing my hand like that."

Regis uttered a groan of pain and gently pushed Iris down the stairs. She managed not to stumble, although she nearly lost her footing, desperately looking up to the king. Blood bloomed on his side, Ardyn standing right behind him. Where had he come from?! For an instant, a blur of blue magic materialized, Regis's Glaive taking form in the air. But Ardyn let his magic out, freezing him in place, the sword falling back into the dimensional pocket the royal could use.

"What…?"

"Don't raise your voice, Iris Amicitia," the counselor said. "I had told Ravus love was a mistake, but that boy only listens when he likes what he hears. I wonder what he'd think if he saw his daddy now. Not so strong huh, your Highness?"

He pulled out the dagger he'd used to stab the king, leaving a dark blob of magic on his waist to act as a healing belt of some sort. Regis's face was white from the blood he'd already lost and the pain still wrecking through his insides.

"Stop this!" Iris begged.

"Don't worry, I can't have the King die. Although I can't have him knowing the truth either. The last thing I need is the raven prince back. Oh, and don't think about running off to warn your father!"

Iris frowned, her breathing too quick, her limbs heavy and light at the same time. She didn't dare to move, even though she wanted to rush up the stairs and pull Regis away from him. She knew the King would be hurt from this revelation, but she didn't think Ardyn could have been lurking in the shadows, waiting for something to stir his plans off the rails. What could he be after to attack the King like this?! Could she stop him in time? She didn't want Regis to die.

Ardyn cleansed the dagger on the dark sleeve of his coat, taking a step down the stair as Regis remained frozen in place, eyes wide, mouth gaping. He was still breathing, Iris couldn't believe she had to make sure, but he was still breathing. What sort of magic could Ardyn use?

 _Illusions… He made Gladio look like a freaking Naga._

With his third step, the counselor shifted his appearance. From his clothes to the color of his hair. Purple brown turned gray and white with hints of dark. His skin grew wrinkles. A cane appeared in his hand as his clothes changed to pure black. Royal garments.

"Oh no…"

"Oh yes," Ardyn smiled, wearing Regis's face, playing with his voice. "We can't have the King missing now, can we? I'll keep this one in check," he added, pointing to Regis, marking a pause as he looked at her with dark eyes, "if _you_ abide by my rules, he'll be fine. Well, as fine as he can be knowing he forsake one son because the other one tricked him. Ha! Breaking families never gets old."

The real Regis closed his eyes shut and Iris felt more tears on her cheeks. What sort of sick game was this?! She'd always found him creepy, but this was way worse than anything she could have imagined…

"Why are you doing this?"

"You know too much already, little flower. You're more useful to me alive and keeping Ravus in line, but don't go believing I can't find a workaround if you get too difficult. I can stab a king in his throne room without starting any alarm."

Iris couldn't find her voice anymore. All she could do was stare at the two Regises standing by the throne, one seemingly held up by invisible threads, the other one staring at her with dark eyes and a lopsided smirk. His whole posture had nothing to do with the regal way Ravus's father usually held himself. He looked predatory and cunning.

"Now then, you're going to walk out of this room and tell your father you argued with Ravus. But you are now the boy's crownsguard and I ordered for you to put your feelings aside so you could accompany him on his travels. If you mention anything about Regis getting hurt or me being anyone else than Regis, your original King will die. And you'll be the one Ravus can blame for becoming an orphan."

"You can't…!"

"I'll keep an eye on you at all time," Regis/Ardyn cut her off, his voice sharper than his dagger. "When you'll be training with your oaf of a brother. When you'll cry yourself to sleep in a tent. If you breathe a word of this to anyone, one peep, I'll know and the King will be dead. It's not as though anyone can notice, with that gorgeous face of mine."

Iris's heart was filled with dread as she realized how much power Ardyn held. They'd been living with that monster hiding right under their nose all this time. And Ravus listened to him. Letting him poison his mind. Convince him that his brother was a danger and a threat when the real threat…

"Are you fine with your orders, Amicitia?"

"I…"

"I know Ravus roughened you up, but everything will be fine, won't it? I can trust you'll keep all your recent knowledge to yourself? A nod will do if you can't speak. I tend to have that effect on people."

Iris nodded weakly. She wanted to hide somewhere but it sounded as though as nowhere could be private for her anymore. How could she make sure whether the counselor was lying or not? How could she keep both Regis and Ravus safe, or let her father walk back into that room knowing what was truly waiting for him.

It took all her willpower to step down the stairs and turn her back on the fake King, and she was really quiet as she stepped out of the room and into the hallway where her father was waiting for her audience with their King to be over.

Clarus welcomed her with arms wide open, the stern expression of his face softening as he saw how shaken she was.

"Won't you tell me what's wrong?"

"Oh dad…" she started in between the new sobs claiming her voice. "Everything feels wrong. Ravus did something… Not to me, I swear, I love him and he really loves me, I just… Leaving Insomnia scares me."

"Leaving Insomnia? Did you ask Regis to let you accompany Ravus?! When you're in such a state after whatever happened between the two of you?"

"I need to be with him."

 _He needs someone who knows by his side._

…

"Noctis, Prompto, meet our pilot, Cindy Aurum."

Cindy had been around the manor already and Noctis remembered passing by her a few times, but Prompto hadn't seen her even once. The blond pilot was wearing a skin-tight suit, with silver pads on her shoulders and the front zipper pulled low enough to expose a good portion of her chest. Noctis couldn't help but wonder if it was a good thing he could tell the color of her bra whenever he saw her… It was purple today. Her short hair was unruly, a pair of aviator googles sitting on top of her head the only thing keeping her bangs from falling in her green eyes. Her white boots were a stark contrast to the black suit and grey suit, completed by a white tool-belt that hung snuggly to her hips. Prompto noticed the holster on her left thigh in a heartbeat.

"Glad to finally put a name on your face," Noctis declared, offering her a handshake.

"Glad to finally know your actual name, handsome," Cindy shot back.

Luna rolled her eyes at the exchange, while Prompto eagerly awaited his turn at a handshake.

"How much do you charge to pull that zipper any lower?"

Cindy raised one brow at him, her extended hand turning into a fist as she turned her attention to Luna.

"I'd heard he was direct…"

"As a pilot, I take it you're good with sticks, huh?" Prompto insisted, giving her a pointed look.

"Dude!" Noctis had to rile himself in not to hit him on the back of the head.

"I can take care of myself, Oracle knight, don't worry. So you're called Prompto? I hope you're not a minute man."

Prompto did blink at that, taken aback for the shortest time, but he concealed his blush into a comeback that made Cindy's shoulders drop a notch.

"Ouch! Well now, we have to run a test and verify that theory you have."

"Okay, wriggle your eyebrow at me one more time and I'm gluing your skinny butt to the rear of this ship!" she declared.

"Skinny?!"

"Is that all you've heard of what I just said?" Cindy mused, amusement fighting with annoyance.

"Argentum! Aurum!" Luna interfered, her voice commanding now. "We're supposed to take off today!"

"Yes, your Highness. I'll get right on to that," Cindy declared, giving one last warning look to the gunman before considering their whole group. "If you're willing to strap in for take off, we can leave immediately."

Noctis slapped Prompto's shoulder as they took their seat, unable to believe the nerves of the guy. The girls sat up front, Luna hoping she could alleviate the tense impression she felt from Cindy after the imperial runaway attempts at flirting.

"Those were the worst…" Noctis started.

"I know! But good or bad, that definitely caught her attention, right?"

"We're going to be stuck in that ship with her for the entire trip to Altissia and Lucis, man. I don't think you need to make her hate your guts to have her attention."

"Listen now, Cael," Prompto made a point to stretch out his false name. "You've been banging a freaking princess after playing the bodyguard/secret identity routine with her. That's all cute and nice, but we normal guys can't afford to be charming. Either she breaks my face or she takes her frustrations out on me."

"How's that…? Oh… Oh for the Six sake, don't give me that look!"

"So you don't deny the banging?"

"I don't see how I could refrain you from talking like a degenerate."

Prompto laughed at that, which earned him a suspicious glance from Luna. A few lights flickered on the command board as the whole airship shook on its hinges.

"I hope you gentlemen have tightened your seatbelts," Cindy called over her shoulder.

Noctis glared at Prompto as he was opening his mouth to let out a new obscene remark, but the ship set into motion before a sound could escape either of the men. It took five minutes of the cockpit shaking around them until they were stabilized. Cindy liked to fly fast and Luna clearly didn't mind it. It was the whole reason why the engineer could even make deliveries to Tenebrae despite Nifelheim's close watch.

"We'll be on autopilot in ten. I'll let you know when you can unstrap."

Noctis paled a bit as he reflected on what this travel meant for him. Going back to Lucis. Running the risk of seeing his friends and family again. There was a big chance they would stop by Insomnia, since Luna was dead set on letting him see his father and he suspected she wanted to right the situation with his brother too. Prompto sensed his change of mood and tried to keep his mind off in his own way.

"How long until your princess wants a piece of you again, huh?"

"If I poured soap down your ear, would it help get your mind out the gutter?"

"I can be serious, mate, but I don't like the face you're making. Did they call you the prince of brooding back home?"

"Well, maybe you should think more." Noctis observed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That never ends well," the gunman declared with a self-derisive smile. "I'm a soldier. And a tribute for the gods now. That still freaks me out."

For once he was genuine and that took the exiled prince by surprise.

Noctis realized how little he'd reflected on the role Luna imposed on Argentum. It was one thing for him to take this sort of responsibility. After all, he'd been born to become a King. A leader. Someone who would bear burdens for his people without a second thought. Luna was giving him the chance to live up to his legacy, even though the crystal had deemed him unworthy. But Prompto had joined her little army of rebels in the hopes of getting a better life after being oppressed by the empire for his entire life. And the standing he got didn't matter to him if he was supposed to risk his life.

He wanted to feel safe once more. His constant humor was more than certainly a façade to face the world without crumbling to pieces. The guy had scars that even impressed Noctis.

"You know, I'm rumored to keep my men alive," Noctis remarked.

"Now that's reassuring. Hey, I'm not kidding around," Prompto quickly added as he saw the bodyguard looking up at the ceiling. "I'm just not used to having people looking out for me. Guess I'm not expandable anymore…"

He said it jokingly, but Noctis sensed the truth to his words. How he knew what being expandable felt.

"Of course, you're not!"

"And we're on course!" Cindy called out to them. "I'll stay here to check on the trajectory and make sure the sensors don't detect any interference, but we should be high enough to stir clear of detection by Nifelheim."

"Thank you, Cindy," Luna smiled, getting up from her seat. "I need to stretch out my legs a bit. Ca… I mean Noctis… This is still going to take some using to," she whispered, giving him an apologetic look.

"And it's my fault. What is it?"

"Walk with me?" she asked him.

Prompto crossed his arms behind his head, leaning back in his chair, raising one brow at Noctis to remind him of his previous question. He mouthed the words: "Someone's getting lucky."

"You really need another past time than pestering me, Prom."

"I know!"

The pair of royal left the two blonds, Prompto mentally counting two full minutes before to get off his seat and walk up to the command board where Cindy was still checking signals.

"You can look but you don't touch."

"I though your clothes implied…"

"I'm talking about my control board, smartass."

He laughed at her retort. She had a lot of bite and he found her a little more interesting every time he could hear more of her accent.

"Lucian?"

"Dad's Lucian, mother from Accordo actually. Are you a natural breed or engineered?"

He swallowed at the casual way she asked it. He hadn't thought his question was quite that intrusive for once. He tried to find his wits as he leaned to the side with one hand on the copilot's headrest.

"Do I get more interesting if I'm engineered?"

"Depends. Are you?"

"I'm a clone. Although I'd like to mention my design is altered, so I shouldn't look as ugly as the original when I get older."

Cindy turned away from her work, her green eyes focusing on him. Her gaze was intense, but she gave him a smile that made him feel grounded again. He released the breath he was holding without even realizing it.

"This is not a test, you know? You can be a clone, a noble or even a bird."

"A bird?" he repeated, his eyes shining with amusement.

"That hair was not engineered to look that way."

"Thank you for noticing. This bird hairstyle is my pride and joy."

Her smile turned into a laugh and something shifted inside him. He tried not to stare at her face, to watch how her legs curved and her shoulders shook, but he couldn't look away from her eyes. She was a bombshell, but she was also pretty in an effortless way. He noticed how she didn't wear make-up, how a spot on her neck had a blemish, there was a tiny mole just above her collarbone. The necklace she wore that he'd taken for a gear was a ship's wheel. And her laugh… He couldn't remember the last time he'd heard something laugh like that.

When her eyes opened again and fixated on him, he felt his cheeks heating up a bit. She didn't care if he was a clone.

 _This is bad, man, don't get any ideas,_ he chided himself.

"So, ummm… Aurum, huh? That means gold… You're gold and I'm silver."

"Means I'm always going to get first place while you come second."

"You can be on top of me every time, any time, gal," he declared, winking at her.

Her smile shifted to indignation and he had to duck a plastic mug as she bellowed.

"Keep dreaming, second place!"

They really were off to a good start.

…

Noctis knew that by a walk, Luna only meant to spend time with him. He wanted nothing else himself and was happy to lock himself in a small resting area with her. There was a couch lined to a wall and a few pieces of furniture hooked to the floor to prevent damage or injury in case of turbulences. Luna propped herself down on the couch, Noctis sitting next to her and motioning to wrap an arm around her shoulders.

"Just a minute, mister," the princess stopped him, a teasing smile on her face. "After all that crap I heard Prompto spouting, I need to hear something engaging."

"What, you want me to flirt?" Noctis deduced.

"Well, unless you tell me you only know his pick-up lines."

Noctis took a moment to picture a charming way to sweep her off her feet. He had gotten close to her so naturally and quickly, every time she playfully asked him for a little attention he didn't show back then, he felt bad. Although she couldn't except her bodyguard to show the kind of behavior Prompto had bombarded Cindy with. As a royal prince back in Insomnia, getting girls to look his way wasn't quite hard. Finding girls that were interesting in him as a simple guy and not a pack of blue blood with money was something else. He looked up to Luna, offering her a small smile.

"Hey. This is me picking you up. Is it working?"

She covered her mouth with one hand, shaking her head.

"No way. You have got to have something better than that!"

"No pressure, huh? One more try and then it's your turn," he negotiated.

"Deal."

"Okay… Take two," he introduced his new attempt, running one hand through his dark locks. "I think you'd look good in black. Wanna trade shirts?"

"Noctis!" Luna exclaimed, unable to hold back her laughter.

"I don't flirt, okay, I just lose my nerves and turn all shy…"

"We're already together, why are you still shy?!"

"Because I get the feeling we wouldn't be together if that one pick-up line was my only chance to get you to look at me twice," he confessed.

She shook her head once more, saddened by his self-doubt.

"I don't know if any line I could try would have gotten your attention in a normal setting. It's not like I'm any good at flirting."

"Oh come on, you must have had a ton of pretenders."

"If you mean the two guys the empire sent me so one could marry me, yes. But as for actually interesting people…"

Her face darkened as she reminisced and found herself drifting to memories she'd rather forget. She breathed in and out too slowly for comfort as she pulled herself away from her dark thoughts.

"It's my turn now, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Careful of not objectifying me," Noctis teased her.

It was all meant in good fun, but Luna actually froze, wondering how her demanding ways looked to him sometimes. Their relationship had started out as something purely physical and she'd acted as though she was entitled to his entire person quite often.

"I… You've got nice eyes…?"

"Was that a question?" It was his turn to laugh at her, despite how much she was blushing, or maybe because she was blushing so much.

A flustered Lunafreya looked adorable.

"I feel awful… It's like I don't even know…"

"Hey, don't worry about it," he reassured her. "You don't need to find something creative to get my attention, because you already have it. Come here," he asked, getting up.

Luna wasn't sure what he wanted but she shuffled closer to him, thinking he was leaning in to kiss her, and gasping as his arms pulled her off the couch, holding her bridal style.

"What are you doing?!"

She was so used to being in charge, she couldn't help but panicking a bit.

"Sweeping you off your feet. I won't drop you."

"I… I know that. What now?"

"Do you trust me, Luna?"

She had to bend her neck to look him in the eyes, but she offered him a smile in answer to his question. Her arms snake around his neck for support and she relaxed in his hold, knowing this would let him know that she did trust him.

"I feel like there's so many things I need to ask you," he whispered.

"And I you," Lunafreya confessed. "We've done everything in reverse, but I don't think it's too late…"

"Of course not."

She sighed as relief flooded her tensed nerves. Noctis turned around, making her laugh and lean closer to him. He sat down with her in his lap, keeping one arm around her frame.

"I want to take you on date in Altissia," the exiled prince told her. "To dance with you. Ride one of those stupid gondolas in the brochures."

"That sounds lovely. But what about those questions you wanted to ask?"

He wasn't sure where to begin. He wanted to know the silly and serious things he still ignored about her, but he was afraid of rushing her. Was there any line left? Her head was in the crook of his neck, her breath warm through his shirt, one of her hands splayed on his chest. She grabbed his hand in hers, their fingers intertwining almost instantly. A squeeze. Another sigh.

"I like being like this," she whispered.

"Me too."

He kissed her temple, holding her in a tighter embrace, relishing the way she shivered next to him.

"Do you know how to cook?" she asked him after some time spent in companionable silence.

"More or less," Noctis started, before to drop any pretense. "I get by, but one of my friends was such an amazing cook, I never really saw a point of getting better. How about you?"

"I'm no chef, but I make a mean meat pie. And there's one pastry I need you to try."

"Awww, you'd cook for me?"

She nodded vehemently, wondering why such a mundane thing made her feel lighter. She couldn't remember the last time she'd prepared a meal for someone, even less for someone she loved this much. The thought was enough to bring a giddy feeling to her heart. And the look of pure adoration in Noctis's eyes made her legs wobbly. It was good thing she wasn't standing.

"We're certainly going to need to cook for ourselves out there, so you'll have to take a risk on me."

"I'm super picky," he warned her. "And I can't really make it up to you by cooking, unless you can handle nothing but sandwiches and pancakes... I'm good at fishing and hunting, but that… makes me sound more like a caveman bringing the food for his woman to prepare."

She laughed it off.

"Will you hold me every night we'll spend out in the wild?"

"As though you need to ask. I won't let even one of your toes get cold," he promised.

She giggled at the solemn tone he took, pulling their entwined hands closer to her. She wasn't sure why, but she kissed one of his knuckles. Those hands had vowed to protect her and she couldn't remember a moment when she'd felt this safe.

"I will be quite lost in Lucis," she admitted.

"Well, I've run all over the country after being sent in exile. I'm pretty sure I can be your guide. I hope you're not against chocobo riding."

"Riding?" she repeated.

"Lucis is way bigger than Tenebrae," he teased her lovingly, even though he knew she was conscious of the difference in size to their country.

"Will you give me a few lessons? There hasn't been a chocobo in Tenebrae in quite some time…"

"I'd like that…"

To be continued…

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Well then, things are finally set for our pair of royal to visit Altissia. Next chapter should see the introduction of a new character, and the start of Ravus's pilgrimage. Which mean we'll finally get more Ignis in this fic! I'll try to keep the chocobros parts as sidelines, since Noct/Luna is the main pairing, but you know how I love them all.

As always, review motivate me greatly!


	9. It's not safe

Today's chapter is mostly fluff and hurt/comfort. It heavily revolves on Noctis and Luna. We have smut, we have teasing, and also Prompto trying to understand what is happening when Cindy looks at him. I know I've promised more Ignis screen time, but it will happen in next chapter. Some of it is already written, but my life is pretty hectic lately and I'm still trying to organize my time around everything I have to do. I hope you'll like this chapter! 😊

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Stranded

Chapter 8 – It's not safe

Noctis had been unable to find sleep on the small mattress of his bunk bed, tossing and turning, causing the bedframe to wince in protest to each and every of his movements. His back ached, his old wound acting up, not to mention how restless he felt. Knowing that after Altissia, he would have to face his home country. Seeing Cleigne, Duscae and Leide again wasn't such a bad thing, but the thought of Insomnia made him feel sick. There wasn't a lot of news coming out of the capital. All he knew from Luna was that the empire was preparing a raid on Lestallum. Prompto hadn't been able to give him more information and with all the damage they'd caused on Nifelheim with the resistance, Noctis knew his country was safe for some time. But what was his father doing?

"You need a remedy to fussing?" Luna asked him in a low voice.

She was on the bed above him and had been so silent, he had been convinced she slept.

"Am I keeping you up?" he asked, an apology waiting on the back of his tongue.

Her legs dangled over the edge of the bed and he couldn't help staring as her nightgown rode dangerously high on her waist when she got down. She replaced her skirt and kneeled on the corner of his bed, offering him a tired smile.

"Think we can snuggle together?"

"Well, it's a pretty small space," Noctis observed, before turbulence pushed her right between his arms, her forehead missing his by mere luck. "If you put it that way, you might be safer here," he added teasingly.

"I didn't provoke this turbulence! I just miss being close to you."

It was their second night on the ship, Cindy forced to take a detour due to a squadron of airships from the empire.

"I'm not that far," he objected, but Luna shook her head, wrapping her arms around him possessively.

She wasn't looking for the savage passion like before, clearly happy to lean her head in the crook of his neck and settle by his side. He shifted the covers so she wouldn't get cold, one arm around her frame, testing the best way to lie down next to her without either of their feet poking out from the sheets. The metal frame winced some more, and it was a tight fit, Noctis forced to push one shoulder into the wall so Luna wouldn't half hang out of the bed.

"I'm not sure I can sleep like this," he admitted sheepishly.

"Well, you weren't sleeping earlier. You just need to snuggle closer," she offered.

Her hands ruffled his hair, her breath on his neck making him shiver. Having someone being this affectionate with him was still new and Noctis was trying to get used to it. He pulled her close, wondering if he even wanted to sleep. He listened to the sound of her breathing, squeezing her palm in his hand, their fingers intertwining in a heartbeat. They rarely shared any lazy moments and he wished for more of those. He wished for an awful lot of things since he'd met her.

"Luna?"

"Hmm?"

"I don't feel reasonable," he sighed, turning them around so he could lie with his face on her chest. He palmed her left breast with his hand, teasing her through the fabric of her gown. "How about bare snuggles?"

"Noct…"

"You said you missed me," he whined.

"Isn't Prompto's bunk right…?"

"This is the closest I can take you to heaven…" Noctis whispered, frowning as he pondered how that sounded, his eyes meeting with Luna's dubitative gaze. Her neck was bent, chin pulled inward so their eyes could lock despite him lying with most of his weight on her. "Like while keeping you alive," he added. "Shit, that got dark. Can I try again?"

She bit her lower lip, unable to hide her amusement.

"I'm far too lenient with you, Caelum."

"I love you. I don't think I've expressed it enough yet."

"With your body?" she enticed him with a twitch of her lips, her fingers trailing down his back.

"Reading my mind?"

She asked for a kiss, but Noctis went for her neck, his nose pressed against her jaw, finding her earlobe, his hands making quick work of the straps holding her gown in place. The metal bunk protested at all the following motions, Luna unable to hold back a breathy whine when he found the tender spot by her ear. Her fingers tugged on his waistband, ghosting his thighs before to find her goal.

"Well, someone's impatient," he commented, his voice barely controlled.

"And you aren't? Please take that shirt off," she asked playfully.

" _Please?_ That's nice," he chuckled, claiming her mouth for a long, heated kiss that was cut off only for a few seconds and more of his skin on her skin.

"I'm always nice," Luna defended herself in between the following kisses.

He retorted by flipping her around, bringing her back flush against his chest, teasing one nipple while he held her waist with his free hand.

"I never told you what a lovely back you have, have I?"

His lips kissed one shoulder blade and then her spine, her entire body shivering in his embrace. He'd always loved the elegant line of her neck and how they simply folded together when he held her like this. The way her flesh shivered under his touch, how her hands would reach for his thighs and cock to guide him closer. Except her hands didn't move now.

"I'm all bones," Luna reminded him, her voice too sharp.

For an instant, her tension felt wrong and Noctis hoped he could ease her self-doubts. It was rare, but whenever it happened, it made him worry of the things he'd missed. The parts of her past he didn't know about.

"Nah. You're soft warm curves," he told her, making sure to stretch every word as he inched himself closer. "You're mine to love, Luna."

His fingers stroked her clit, giving it a light pinch that made her hide her face in the pillow she was now clutching, her gasp coming out muffled.

"Don't...don't tease me."

"I'm not."

She wriggled her hips in objection and Noctis agreed she'd waited long enough. Their pants mixed together, his princess soon begging to see his face, bending her neck until he rolled her to her side. He hated the sense of loss he was left with as he parted from her, rushing to reconnect with her, holding her tighter. One of her legs was around him now. She gasped, her fingers curling in his back, barely holding herself together. The bed cracked and winced with every thrust, Noctis kissing her scream to silence, unable to hinder the whine coming from his throat.

Luna couldn't help her voice from shivering and wondered if she could ever be sated with him.

"Love me more."

"I'm not done," he assured her in between ragged breaths, cupping her head in one hand.

"More. Noct."

 _I want more. I can be more, but only in your arms._

He whispered her name, not sure his tongue could work on any other word when she looked at him with these eyes. He could have drowned in her arms.

…

The first creaking had been a simple taunt, Prompto ready to give them the benefice of the doubt. They needed to sleep after all, unless royalty made people inhuman. Seeing as how they could use magic and apparently go at each other nearly every single night, the gunman was ready to bet his right foot they weren't human. He liked his hands too much to bet them.

The door to his room was pulled open by Cindy when the creaking of metal became continuous and she found him sitting by the door with his hands clamped over his ears, muttering a nursery rhyme out loud to pretend he could block the sounds. She gently nudged him with her boot, although his eyes had already moved up to take in the intruder.

"Oh, do you want your own partner?" he asked the pilot as he noticed the light flush of her cheeks.

"I didn't know I needed ear plugs on this trip or I would have packed them."

A muffled whine and heavy groans made them both a little more uncomfortable and Cindy simply gestured to the hallway, Prompto jumping to his feet to follow her. The blonde led him to the machine room, gesturing for him to have a seat and the noise of the ongoing motor and all the other parts keeping them in the air was a promise that no undesired expression of passion could reach their ears anymore.

The gunman plopped himself in a clean corner on the floor, Cindy leaning against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest. The skin-tight suit had been replaced with an overall covered with oil and grease that made her look messy. He wanted to ask whether that was her pajamas, but she beat him to it.

"My eyes are up here, birdhead. Are they that expressive all the time or is this a special occasion?" Cindy asked him straight out.

"Well, the creaking bed is a new addition. Really hard to focus with the rhythm that guy does. It's like a staccato."

"Shut up! A staccato would kill the poor girl."

They both froze as they realized how easily they'd fallen into a casual talk about their respective friends' sex life. Prompto wasn't used to anyone joining in his comments and Cindy hadn't even expected the words coming out of her mouth.

"Well, at least you know why I came out so strong the other day. With these two around, I get frustrated," he mumbled, not sounding as carefree as he'd meant to.

"I hope you don't think I'm going to ease you out of your misery."

"That sounds like a death sentence. And this room looks like there are way too many ways for you to kill me."

"Or tear off the parts poking out," she suggested, her grin widening as he paled enough for his freckles to stand out.

"Yeech, are those my choices?! Threats to my nether regions or knowing how well Noctis's nether regions are doing?"

Cindy covered her mouth and wrapped one arm around herself, only to burst out laughing despite her apparent attempt to hold it in. Her laugh rippled through him, leaving him with a smile on his face and he looked away, because he wasn't sure what his eyes might show. People actually laughing in earnest at his jokes was rare. The one person who used to was…

"Can we lay off the subject of sexual frustration? I don't have energy to spare for stuff other than work."

"With a body like yours?"

Her smile turned into a thin line and he could have hit himself on the head.

"Sorry. I'll lay off. It's meant as a compliment though."

Cindy pursed her lips at that, which really didn't help his case.

"I get that Caelum is her bodyguard/boyfriend/human stress relief, but what's your role in her pilgrimage?"

"I'm the spare! No, no, okay, I won't kid around anymore. I'm the life container!" he announced, stretching his arms out in a childish manner.

The pilot looked at him with a raise brow.

"You heard about the astrals? Luna needs someone to give his life force in exchange for every covenant. If Noctis was the only one to do it, he'd die. And she clearly prefers him alive. That frozen bitch, Gentiana, she tricked the princess into bringing me as support on the first covenant. So I guess in a way, I am a spare…"

"That's some crazy shit. Raise that chin up, I don't allow moping on my ship."

He blinked, looking up at her.

"You're giving me orders?"

"My ship, my rules," Cindy stated.

 _Why do I like it?_

"I can roll with that."

Cindy hadn't shown him the way to the engine room only to save him from the sounds, but because she needed a distraction and her following question left him with his mouth hanging.

"So, why did you even agree to follow them for the covenants?"

"I… If I don't, I'm basically killing Noctis." Prompto stated.

A dark feeling wrapped around his mind as the thought settled in.

She grimaced, "And that bed rocker is your friend. Not much of a choice. While you haven't been in Tenebrae for long. You joined the Oracle's army like… two months ago?"

"Three," he corrected her. "But yeah, I'm fresh meat."

Prompto blinked, wondering why he'd even refer to himself that way, but Cindy played along, pretending she didn't see the marks of embarrassment on his face.

"You do look like your expiration date is for a long while. You might even be a decent guy." She paused and cocked her head to the side, hesitating before adding, "Should I say clone?"

His smile was dark, and his shoulders hunched over.

"Depends. Should I call you girl?"

She didn't look away, but her stance did change, and he noticed how she shifted from one leg to another, twice.

"Fair point. You think _I'm_ fresh meat?"

He shook his head.

"Maybe don't call yourself like that then," Cindy offered, her eyes appraising him with something akin to worry. He tried to brush it off to the fact she didn't want him dragging the princess down in her pilgrimage. "You sounded serious too."

"Well, we all have issues. No need to try fixing mine."

"Maybe we should focus on the royals onboard and their issue."

"Like the probability of babies all over your ship?" Prompto quipped, only half-joking.

She frowned, biting on her lower lip at that.

"Now that's a scenario I don't like. I am not a babysitter."

"And we're not deaf either."

With a nod and a tentative smile, they agreed to team up regarding this particular problem.

…

Noctis didn't want to have any regrets about the previous night, but as soon as he stepped into the cockpit of the ship, he knew Argentum was going to be an ass about it. Luna was just behind him, seeing as joining their travel companions separately wasn't quite necessary. They couldn't pretend nothing had happened considering how much the bedframe creaked last night.

"Hey guys! How did you sleep?" Promtpo greeted them. "Oh wait, I forgot. You didn't. We heard you."

"All-night-long," Cindy chimed in, holding back on a yawn that sounded half fake. "Should you really be up and running?"

Both blonds were sitting lazily on the floor, a game of cards on a table between them, having clearly bonded over a sleepless night. Neither of the royals could believe there hadn't been a place in the small ship where they couldn't be heard. Had they been that loud…?

Noctis bit his tongue and Luna turned bright red, despite excepting some teasing.

"I think we counted…" Prompto started.

"Five rounds. Outside of the time we walked out. Now I know you're young, but you'd better not burn yourself out like that too often," their pilot observed, her eyes heavy on Noctis's shoulders.

In fact, her gaze trailed right down to his waist and he wondered if they hadn't welcomed a female version of Prompto on the team.

"You don't have anything better to do?" he started with a frown. "Like land us?"

"Nope. Regulations forbid anyone from landing before eight. Unless you want your princess to walk all over the rocky terrain from the emergency landing to the city on her wobbly legs."

"I'm not wobbling around," Luna retorted. "And while we might have been… energetic, there's no need to tease us all day about it."

"No need?! Where do you think my life force comes from? My good looks?" Prompto protested. "I need sleep and if this is a prelude to the whole trip, I'll be dead before you've even produced a spawn."

Cindy snickered at that and it was only because Lunafreya appeared ready to summon her trident -and the fact the temperature in the room turned a few degrees colder- that they accepted to drop the subject. Noctis still had to deal with Prompto's elbow pocking him in the ribs a few times as he thanked him for not sparing him any detail.

"Since you two became such good friends, how about Argentum helps you with your deliveries, Cin? I need to get a few things underway with the local politicians before we can worry about the hydraen."

The mention to the covenant sobered up Prompto from his abject teasing and the prince was brought back to reality. Forging a pact with Shiva was one thing, but the tide-mother wasn't known for her kindness. He'd tried digging into a few books but hadn't found the time. He suspected Luna wanted to save him from worrying too.

 _I'd better talk with her._

He didn't want to be kept in the dark like he'd once been due to the crystal refusing him as chosen. He hated being the last person warned.

"Should we worry?" he couldn't help but ask.

The look Luna gave him was enough to tighten his throat. That princess was usually ready to take on the world, but they were dealing with gods after all. The scourge was a distant threat in Insomnia and without the stories Ignis used to tell him about the empire, Noctis might have had a much bigger shock when he first saw someone affected by the blight. How was Ignis doing now, he wondered. Anything not to ponder about the terrible task Luna was carrying, taking on the duty of both the Oracle and chosen king since his younger brother couldn't move his ass from the capital.

 _Wasn't there a story in the paper about him leaving on his pilgrimage? If he starts collecting the royal arms, he might realize what I did…_

Noctis was lost in thoughts for a good part of the morning, Luna making a few phone calls while Cindy made a quick inventory of the packages she was delivering. One was particularly big and made Prompto wonder if he could even push that crate long enough to impress the pilot.

The landing was a bit rough due to strong winds and Cindy got into an argument with the docking officer, which Luna took as their cue to leave for a quiet day in Altissia. Prompto was stuck behind, but he had stated that he needed the prince away for him, because he couldn't look at him without imagining a bed creaking wildly at the moment. Noctis had to accept that he might never live this down.

Luna was a bit flushed when they stepped into the actual city, past the check line where they'd showed passports with fake names. They had put on civilian clothes, something Noctis was clearly more used to than her and started off with a gondola ride. Luna sat close to him as they discovered the city, her bodyguard relishing the fact he could wrap an arm around her frame and keep her close even though they were in public. It felt like she truly was his girlfriend for the first time, even after all the things they'd shared.

As everything in his life though, that simple bliss didn't last for long. It was just as they stepped into Maagho for dinner that Luna was bumped into by a passerby coming in too quickly for Noctis to prevent the contact without warping. He was under strict order not to considering blowing their cover could cause a diplomatic incident, so he simply caught Luna's arm and pulled her away as a man with light brown hair worn in braids started apologizing at her.

"Hey, didn't mean to…" He paused, recognition lighting up his blue gaze. His hands gripped her shoulders so suddenly, Noctis wanted to draw his blade, but what followed stopped him cold. "Wow, Luna, what are you doing here?"

"Nyx?! It's… it's been years."

"I can't believe you're here. And still so damn skinny. Do you ever eat?"

Noctis cleared his throat then, noticing the way Luna's shoulders had lowered at the comment. How she'd called herself "all bones" the previous night. Who the hell was that Nyx? Luna couldn't help her brief instance of confusion and couldn't decide whether introductions were in order or not. They weren't supposed to draw attention.

"You were in a hurry, I wouldn't want to keep you," she started.

"Well, I have a meeting with Libertus, but he won't mind the wait when he'll hear _who_ got me delayed. You got an escort of one?"

"That's… my bodyguard," Luna declared, evading Noctis's eyes.

Her nervousness was practically dripping from her pores as she fumbled with her hands a bit and motioned between both men.

"Cael, meet Nyx Ulric. He used to train under Cor Leonis back when the Immortal mentored me."

Noctis managed to keep his eyes from widening as he realized what this meant. From the casual way he addressed the princess, Nyx had been a good friend back when she was a teenager.

"A bodyguard? So, you finally saw reason? Must be a nightmare to look after this little tornado. Cor insisted I guard her myself back in the days, but I was the one needing protection most of the time."

 _What kind of protection?_ Noctis wondered.

"It's not an easy job, but I can't say I'm ever bored," the exiled prince found himself answering to Nyx's question.

"Don't gang up on me, now," Luna warned. "I'm not _that much_ trouble."

Nyx noticed the fragility behind her words and pulled her into a hug without even asking for permission, muttering in her ears, "However much trouble, you were worth it."

The princess was brought years back, to the confusion she felt when her "too-friendly" friend -according to Gentiana- had walked out on her without so much as a goodbye. They had been lovers back then, the princess making it clear to him that they couldn't hope for a future. Nyx was too tied to his country and too much of a commoner, no matter how strong of a soldier he would become. Not to mention that the princess wasn't seeing herself getting quite old with the odds her country had in its favor. Lunafreya had been under a lot of pressure then, but she had also been vulnerable with him, something he apparently hadn't realized.

Noctis was seething by now, because no one, not even Biggs and Wedge were that familiar with his princess. But Luna was off down memory lane and when Nyx suggested they took time to catch up, she sounded happy to agree.

"Would you mind giving us some time? You can have a break from guard duty."

"First beer's on me," Nyx added, handing him a handful of gils.

Noctis tried to get over the sting in his heart and to quickly pull his eyes away from Luna. Correction, the Oracle, the warrior princess he guarded. His charge. His liege. He was stunned, especially considering that she didn't mind letting people in her country know of their relationship. He would have been proud to introduce her to his friends as his girl. But then again, _she_ wasn't accused of attempted murder on her own brother. She kept telling him she knew he'd been framed, but he wondered if she would defend him if she couldn't take the risk of using his actual name.

He sat down at the bar with a sullen look, keeping an eye on the pair as they settled at a table by the water with the guy who had to be Nyx's friend. Said friend made a reverence to Luna and excused himself quickly, taking his own spot at the bar.

"So, you're the third wheel and I'm the fourth, huh?" Libertus asked him.

Noctis grunted his reluctant approval.

Luna couldn't help a worried glance his way, but he didn't catch it, swirling the whiskey he'd ordered in his glass.

"He looked pretty dark. Wearing black and all," Nyx commented.

She was shocked by the fact she'd forgotten his voice over the years. They had been together for a while, even though they never put a label on it. And now she was trying to make small talk with him, wondering if she felt longing, nostalgia or sheer pain amidst the confusion swaying her.

"Black's his favorite color. He's Lucian."

Somehow, focusing on Noctis made her more nervous.

"Oohh. What the hell is he doing that far from…"

"Nix that," Luna cut him off in the way she always did back when they were teen. "I want to hear what you've been up to."

His smile was tentative.

"Waging wars, holding Galhad together. Libertus and I almost started our own bar, but then my wife…"

Luna blinked a bit too slowly and he bit his tongue. She remembered him stating he'd never marry and would break hearts until all the fathers in the world came after him. And he had been looking at other girls in Tenebrae, but his best smile was always for her.

"It's been over… 6 years, hasn't it? I met her in Galdyn Quay and my life was turned over its head," he couldn't help the grin coming over him and it felt contagious just watching him. "Things were getting rough in both Lucis and Galhad and she has family here, so we moved. Like that, suddenly it was easy to give up everything, tie the knot, start a family. I've got pictures of our girl. Cure is turning 2 this year. She'd be so excited to meet you in person. She insisted on disguising herself in lady Lunafreya this year."

The girl on his phone had mischievous eyes and looked every bit like Nyx, with darker hair and light braids hanging on one side of her head.

"You sound happy," Luna observed, finding herself smiling despite the light ache she felt. "And she's beautiful."

Why was there a part of herself thinking that this could have been her life? She never wanted…

"Thanks. I guess I got boring. I'm the dad who can't shut up about his kid. But enough about this civilian. I want to hear from you now. You look pretty tired. Lots of sleepless night as you plan more strategy to face the empire or recruit more people into your cause?"

Luna fought against the blush that threatened to cover her face considering what she'd been doing on her last sleepless night. Why did she feel more embarrassed in front of Nyx than she could have been with Cindy and Prompto earlier?

"I still have a lot on my plate. I came here to get a bit of rest before setting back to work. I may have found a way to settle the score with the empire once and for all."

"Color me impressed. Should I relocate my family to an inhabited island for a few weeks?"

Luna had always been rash and his question asked with the genuine intention of teasing her brought back all of her doubts about her endeavor. A hand on her shoulders made her jump, although it was Noctis who'd walked up to her.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's almost time."

He stayed vague, knowing Luna well enough to tell she wasn't entirely comfortable around Nyx. If he couldn't be introduced as her boyfriend, he wasn't going to give up on what it entailed. His goal had been for her to have a good time today.

"Plus, we have a potential investor that should arrive any minute now." Libertus chimed in.

"That's right. Now I feel bad, I hogged almost all the conversation to myself," Nyx seemed ready to apologize, to which the princess shook her head.

"There's not much new in my life and you've dealt with enough craziness back in Tenebrae," she offered. "Although, if you know where Cor went…?"

The Galhadan's expression darkened.

"He went "god-hunting" four years ago. Talking about some crazy trial he wanted to get rid of. Never heard of him since then and my orders were to not follow him. For once in my life, I listened."

They parted with a few goodbyes, Libertus assuring the princess that they would be around Maghoo on most nights for the next week if she wanted to catch up with either of the Galhadan. His heavy wink wasn't lost on either Luna or Noctis, but by then, the bodyguard wanted to leave and never come back.

…

"What's the hurry?" Luna asked when they were out of the restaurant.

"No hurry, I just don't like seeing you this uncomfortable."

"I'm not… I'm tired, alright?"

She _was_ tired of feeling flustered and trying to regain her bearings, but her tactic backfired.

"Oh sure, so now it's my fault?!"

"I never said that! Why are you…" she paused, realization hitting her. Noctis was almost storming off, not even checking on her and she hurried after him, pulling on his jacket. "Noct, stop."

His eyes were so cold when he whipped around, Luna couldn't understand how her breath didn't turn into fog as she gasped.

"Don't call me that," he snapped. "It's one or the other, but I'm sick of being… You say I'm your equal behind closed doors, but when it matters, I'm the bodyguard, when you need my arms, I'm your sex toy. Am I just a replacement to the guys that were there before? Like that Nyx you never mentioned but needed to catch up with?"

"What?! No, you're…"

She grabbed his wrist and pulled him in a back alley, hoping her gestures wouldn't look commanding.

"…I only wanted to make sure you wouldn't be recognized, Nyx is from Galhad, he has to follow the news from Lucis."

"Can't you trust him? You two were clearly close in the past," he added, the bitterness gone from his voice.

Luna couldn't deny the fact, but she wanted to erase his doubts. How could she let him see himself as nothing but a tool when he was so much more?

"You have no reason to be jealous, the man's happily married and it's not like I ever actively tried to keep him in Tenebrae."

"Don't you wish you did? You were looking so lost…"

Even as he said so, his hands were attracted to her, his arms meaning to comfort her, although he needed reassurance. Luna shook her head at him.

"If you're going to be angry with me, stay angry, Noct. I was shocked and flustered earlier. I did tell you there had been other men in my life. Nyx was… He was the closest thing I had to a boyfriend before I met you, but as soon as his country was in danger, he left me without so much as a goodbye. I felt played for a fool. I don't want you to feel that way," she added, her hands gripping his.

Noctis swallowed, the lump in his throat feeling heavier than before with the way she looked at him.

"Luna…"

"You're Noctis to me. Not a bodyguard and certainly not a toy I'll drop. Am I that shallow to you?"

"I have trust issues. My father threw me out of my own family and I'm not sure why I call my brother my brother. It's not about being shallow…"

Luna wondered if she should eventually raise the fact he hadn't rebuked her potential shallowness. But she had put herself first too much with this walk down memory lane. Her hands cupped his face as she willed him to believe her.

"I love you, Noct. I might miss parts of the past, but when I look forward, it's you I want by my side. After the covenants and once the empire is dealt with, I hope you will still be with me. But if you need to stay in Lucis…"

The shiver to her voice told him how hard it would be for her to relive what had happened with Nyx.

"We've talked about this before," he reminded her.

"But words aren't enough, are they?"

He had an objection on the back of his tongue, but Luna guided his head to the crook of her shoulder, hugging him close, her hands ruffling his hair. Noctis allowed himself to breathe her in, his arms closing around her frame. She felt thin and she was shaking slightly.

"What's this? I'm not crying," he couldn't help the teasing in his tone, because he felt diminished when she grew this soft on him.

"If I kissed you, wouldn't it feel like I'm using you?"

Her hesitation was cute.

"You can kiss me, Luna. As long as I can keep my pants on, since it's the middle of the day."

She instantly tried to pull away from him, her cheeks flushed with outrage, but Noctis turned his embrace into a vice, taking a few steps until her back was against the wall.

"I'm not some nympho…!" Luna defended herself, her words cut short by his lips on her mouth, Noctis stealing her breath if only to ascertain he had a right to.

"I know you're not. I'm enough to satisfy your needs after all."

"That's not how _I_ see it. I can't get enough of you, I'm not…"

Her voice quivered and Noctis realized it might be too soon to tease her.

"You've never left me disappointed either," he whispered to her ears.

"That's because you're too nice to ask for more."

"I don't remember being that nice last night."

His hands trailed down to her left hip, where he'd left a mark on her skin in the rush of passion.

"That's not what I meant… I don't get how you can settle for this."

She was referring to herself, much to his own shock and he stepped back, all teasing intentions gone.

"Luna?"

She gestured to herself, her chest heaving.

"I… I know I'm too thin and too pale. My skin's an ugly patchwork and…"

"Stop that," he nearly snapped at her once more. "I love you. Your waistline has nothing to…"

"You're lying! I'm a bag of bones and no matter how much I eat, I can't…"

His eyebrows were crossed as he held her shoulders, shaking her up.

"Who put that idea in your head? Was it Nyx?"

He'd called her skinny…

The princess looked many years younger as she nodded.

"He used to joke around he should force me to eat more, but I don't think he ever realized…"

She hiccupped on her own sob and hid her face against his chest, angry with herself for being so shaken.

"Luna, you're beautiful. How can you doubt it? And why didn't you tell him to stop the teasing if…?!"

Her answer came out muffled, but Noctis didn't have to press her further to get more explanations.

"Because it wasn't serious! I always make things physical because that way it seems easier to believe any guy would be interested… My title means nothing but trouble, my line has no future, I always thought I'd die young and…"

"Whoa, slow down! When were you planning on letting me know all that?"

"I thought I was over it. I really thought…"

"You don't have to be over it. I just wish you'd believe me when I say you're pretty. And what the hell was that part about dying young? You want me to fail at my job so badly?"

"I don't want to die," she objected. "Not before I get more time with you."

How could she say such a thing? How could he even let it slide, simply pulling her closer, trying to grasp how far the invisible scars run? Noctis held her as she broke into tears, stroking her hair and hoping his embrace was enough for her to feel safe and not as small and bony as she called herself. The fact she admitted her insecurities and allowed herself to be this vulnerable around him was all the answer he needed. More then her life, he guarded her heart. But he couldn't help but be worried.

"Luna, why are you crying?" he asked her after a few minutes.

"I'm sorry."

She sniffed, desperately trying to get her breathing under control again.

"No, you don't get to just apologize. You're scaring me. Why would you even think of dying? It's not like your country can deal without…"

But they'd left Tenebrae with someone else at the helm. And instead of her people, for once, Luna dared to think about herself in a time other than the present.

"His daughter," she explained. "Just seeing her picture made me wonder… If maybe I can… What if we can have that too?"

Her tears were gone, but her eyes still held hesitation when she looked up to him.

"You mean… you and I? That's… Can we have an actual date or two before we jump to those questions?"

She managed a smile, her nod so soft, he barely noticed it.

"I'd love that."

He gave her a tender kiss, delicate and slow, which she repaid him with the feathery touch of her hands on his shoulders. She felt so unsure of herself, Noctis found himself taking the lead for the rest of their explorations.

They started by fishing, Luna sitting in his lap and hindering more than she helped as he tried to land a catch which could be turned into a worthy dinner for Prompto and Cindy. After a while, the royals had agreed they needed to compensate their respective friend for going overboard the previous night. They walked around Altissia, aimlessly discovering the city of water. When he saw a flower dress in a window display, Noctis insisted on Luna trying it out, refusing to hear about how self-conscious she felt. He accompanied her in the cabin despite her protests, commenting on her waist, hips and a thousand more details he loved about her to make sure she would forget that "skinny" nick name. The clerks were eyeing them with pointed looks when they walked out, and Luna hoped her blushing could eventually stop.

She had put on the dress, white fabric dotted with blue flowers, the skirt wavering on her slender legs, while the top exposed a good portion of her back. She coaxed Noctis into getting himself a new set of clothes, although the convincing stopped when the colors he should be wearing came into question. They shared ice cream on one street, made a lightning quick visit to the coliseum -Luna instantly deciding the whole concept should be abolished and Noctis had to drag her out before she started a scene- their day out finishing in a restaurant where they made small talk, enjoying the moment of silence as they sat thigh by thigh on their cushioned seat.

"Can we take a picture together?" she asked him out of the blue.

"Sure thing."

He'd never been big on selfies and Luna wasn't either, he was amazed she even owned a phone, but he was grateful for the simple happiness she exuded as she took out her cell and tried to find the right angle to catch them both. In the hand, he laid his chin on her right shoulder, one arm wrapped around her, his free hand threatening to tickle her side as she struggled with the lighting. They were both grinning so much, it was surreal to think either of them had been down earlier.

"You should take more than one picture," he told her.

"Then stop tickling me!"

"But I want one where you laugh!" he defended his point.

Luna couldn't remember a time when she'd been this carefree before.

"How do I thank you for all of this?"

"You say thank you and hope I don't start taking you for granted?" Noctis offered.

"That was a question?"

He laughed, shrugging awkwardly.

"You said you wanted a future with me. After the Astrals and the empire. So I guess, the best way to repay me today and every day I manage make you smile is to keep desiring that shared future. You give me somewhere to belong."

He didn't want to lose this twice.

Their fingers intertwined, and Luna smiled at him.

"Don't ever let me take you for granted either, alright?"

"Alright."

To be continued…

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So then, Nyx is Luna's ex. He's pretty clumsy in there and this might be his only appearance in the fic, unless you tell me you'd like to see him more. He gave me a good occasion to explore Noctis's insecurities. In next chapter, Raviris is on the menu, some heavy flashbacks from Ignis's backstory in this AU and possibly Cindy and Prompto's shenanigans. There was a tiny, tiny mention to Ignis's stories about the empire, but I won't say more over it yet.

As always, reviews motivate me into writing more 😉


	10. Hydraen's wrath

Today's chapter is the longer yet in this story. We focus on Noctis and Luna and on Prompto and Cindy. Fun times between friends and a covenant! To think the first time I write the covenant with Leviathan is in Stranded… It feels a bit weird, but I think I'm happy with the end result. Without further ado, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! 😊

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Stranded

Chapter 9 – Hydraen's wrath

"You're trying to tell me that this covenant is going to save us?! You have a lot of nerves, lady Lunafreya," the first secretary of Altissia warned.

Lady Camelia was a patient woman, well-versed in politics, but after two and a half hours of going back and forth with gentle but firm declarations regarding what the Oracle expected from her and what the people of Accordo needed in exchange, Luna had lost of her cool.

"I know this evacuation call looks bad, but I can't guarantee the safety of your people otherwise and the last thing I want is to put anyone at risk."

Noctis was glad Prompto wasn't there to object in any way. Because these negotiations weren't going well as it was.

"What if the covenant didn't take place in the city?" he asked, even though he hadn't made a single intervention since the curt nod he'd given to the first secretary.

Both women turned to him, the older with one raised brow, the younger wearing a curious but cautious expression.

"Cael was it?" Camelia asked. "Why does this name sound so familiar…"

Noctis knew his father had visited Accordo years ago, and the female politician had to be already around back then, but the last news of him as the first-born Lucian prince dated back to his exile. With all the shit the empire had pulled recently, this was old information.

"Is it even possible?" Noctis insisted, his eyes focusing on Luna.

"It's… While the altar northeast of the Leville would be the most potent place to start it… I don't see why it couldn't work on an island neighboring the city. This way, the potential damages would be kept to a minimum. We'd need a boat of course."

Lady Camelia squared her shoulders ever so slightly, unamused by how simply Lunafreya made demands. Noctis held back a smirk at the sight of the power struggle between both women. Luna wouldn't leave without permission for the covenant and everything she needed for it to work guaranteed by the first secretary, while Camelia refused to simply throw in the towel and accept everything the princess asked for right away.

It took one more hour of consulting a map, making a few phone calls and Camelia accepting to give away the boat with a discharge paper and to guarantee the princess and her retinue a rescue party should she need it. In exchange, Luna would visit every hospital in the city of water and cure every person infected with the blight before the Covenant. If she could treat people affected by other illnesses, she would heal them too.

"You're going to burn yourself out," Noctis warned her when they finally walked out of the embassy.

"I'll just need plenty of food and sleep to make up for it. Let's hit the first hospital right now."

Like Noctis predicted, Luna healed people over and over until she collapsed on her feet, her bodyguard catching her in his arms and having to carry her back to their hotel room. On the following day, when she insisted she could get out of bed, Noctis had to corner her in his arms.

"I'll drug you to make sure you get some rest if that's what you need," he threatened.

"You wouldn't!"

"I'm serious Luna. This covenant is going to take a lot out of you and you can't deplete your energy like this because you want to get it done sooner. Only you can heal those people…"

She didn't have to tell him how she regretted not being able to heal them sooner due to her constant fight with the empire to keep Tenebrae safe. Her true calling was to heal people, even though she was more of a warrior after all these years of outright rebellion against the empire. The following week was all about getting Luna to complete her end of the bargain at a human pace and her bodyguard needed all the help he could get to succeed.

Cindy offered to watch over Luna to make sure she would get enough rest, while Prompto suggested tying her up with a mocking tone that nearly earned him a punch from Noctis. The covenant was drawing closer and both men were growing a little more restless. They would disappear to train together, either with swimming race, sparring together -Noctis would use his blades while Prompto gave him a run for his money with his short blade and daggers- or their own version of a shooting range. Noctis had no idea if his magic could damage an Astral, but after stumbling on a electric shard deposit by a weird painting down in the lower quarters, the exiled prince wanted to make sure he had full control of his newfound powers.

Prompto was still a wise-ass, but his teasing to Noctis and Luna's bedroom exploits came to a minimum that was tolerable. Cindy more often than not managed to get him tongue-tied and the royals were more than happy to use that to their advantage. While going out on one more date, Noctis and Luna were quite happy with cuddling and snuggling together, even though they had their own hotel room. They were trying to catch up on the "normal" relationship stuff they'd missed and slowly getting use to the fact neither of them needed to be convinced to stick around. Noctis surprised her with breakfast in bed, which turned out in egg yolk on the sheets, while Lunafreya insisted on preparing him a meal, complete with three servings and a dessert that would give diabetes to even the healthiest man.

Prompto nearly got emotional when they offered him a slice of cake, to everyone's shock and the four of them insisted on making a feast on the night before the covenant.

"No, Cindy, for the nth time, I am not getting wasted," Lunafreya objected to her friend.

"You're the funniest drunk, Lu!"

"Is she now? What's the worse she ever did?" Prompto instantly asked.

Noctis chuckled, just as interested as the gunman and Cindy pursed her lips as she leaned her chin on her hands, considering the possibility of giving them a straight answer. Luna shook her head, giving her a light push with her shoulder.

"No way, Cindy, you can't…!"

"Oh come on now, I need some incentive to keep my mouth shut. Drink with your gal friend and my lips will be sealed" Cindy shot back.

"We can make this fair by sharing equally embarrassing stories," Prompto offered, since he really didn't want to pass up on the anecdote. "What do you think, bro?"

"I have gotten drunk a few times back in Insomnia. I think we made the paper once. Wasn't my greatest moment."

"That sounds promising. So, do we all fess up or our princess needs us to make a pact first?" the gunman went on.

Luna rolled her eyes at him, her shoulders lowering in defeat.

"Fine, fine. But this better not leave this room!"

They also convinced Luna into drinking with them, sitting together in the private lounge of the Leville, raising their glasses to toast to the success of the covenant and the short trip they would embark upon. Cindy had joked about sun bathing once the ordeal was over, if only so that Luna would look less pale, but both Prompto and the princess had disagreed with the plan. When exposed to the sun, they burned before developing a tan.

"There was a big gathering in Tenebrae, Cor had organized a summit on battle techniques and warriors from all over the world had come for it. I had assisted with the opening ceremony, but I had little to do in there, the summit couldn't be politicized. There was this big feast for the closing ceremony and Cindy here insisted on dragging me there."

"The girl never has any fun, it's always training, reading, studying, praying and training some more."

"Not so sure about that," Prompto observed, elbowing Noctis in the ribs which earn him a slap to the back that sent droplets of beer flying.

"You know Prom, I wonder how you survived so long in the empire while being so impertinent." Luna declared, giving him a warning glare.

He snorted at that.

"I thought very loudly instead of speaking up. But appreciate the liberty of expression you grant your soldiers, your Highness."

"She's trying to get out of telling that embarrassing story," Noctis chimed in. "What happened at that feast?"

Lowering her shoulders a few notches, the Oracle accepted to confess.

"Sometimes, when I get drunk, I have the urge to sing."

Both men looked at her with eyes as large as saucers. Cindy giggled, her hands moving haphazardly as she expanded on Luna's admission.

"She's a good singer normally, but she's awfully off-key when drunk. And she decided to give us a concert. She was kneeling on the punch table, taking requests and singing her heart out."

"Oh my gods!" Noctis slapped his thigh while Prompto remained speechless, staring at Luna with incredulous eyes.

"I saw you get wild on the battlefield, but a concert with requests next to the punch bowl?"

Her shoulders lowered even more as she shook her head.

"It wasn't my best night," Luna desperately tried to defend herself. "And we were promised equally embarrassing stories from you two."

Prompto had a deer caught in the headlights expression, as though he doubted he had anything that could equal or even top that level of embarrassment.

"Okay, well, I had a competition with my friends back in Insomnia," Noctis started. "Gladio is a behemoth of a man, nearly three times my size, while Ignis is super lean. We were convinced we could drink Iggy under the table. I forgot that Gladio easily started fights when he was drunk and that Ignis was a tricky bastard when it came to competitions. We were pretty wasted by the time Ignis slipped up about bribing the barman. Ignis wanted one of us to stay sober so he could assure our safety, and he also loves to win. Gladiolus snapped and hurled his chair across the room."

"He what?!"

"Hell, he could have done the same with the table if it hadn't been screwed to the floor."

Noctis told his story so well, it took Cindy pointing out that between Gladiolus fighting things out with a lady immortalized on a newspaper cover and Ignis drenched in rum from a rough tumble with a fellow patron into a keg… well they had no idea what Noctis had been doing.

"You fought too, didn't you?" Luna egged him on.

Noctis looked away, his ears turning red even though he knew there was no use being embarrassed about something that was all in the past.

"Not really. I tried but… I got knocked out at the first punch. I was so wasted, my body was like a pile of marshmallows. I came to quickly, but I was too groggy to move."

"Aww, what those alcoholic beverages do to us," Prompto quickly interfered, clasping his chest with a dramatic look on his face. "While your inaction might be embarrassing, I think I have the best story yet. We had had the biggest party with the clones in our camp and it just so happened that a few female scientists were hanging out with us. A rare occasion indeed and this birdhead was determined to land himself one orgasmic night, you know, of the kind half this team is so happy to share with us bachelors…"

Cindy snorted while Noctis let out a disgruntled groan, Luna heaving a sigh.

"So I was chatting up this gorgeous girl, all charm and racking up points when my stomach decided he wouldn't cooperate. Next thing I knew, I was on my feet, while the geography lady blinks and blurgh!" Prompto emphasized with grimace, his arms expressively moving by his sides. "I barfed all over her. There was puke in her hair, in her eyes, in her glass, it was awful!"

"Prompto! We are currently drinking!" Luna protested to the details.

"So was she!"

"Ugggh," came the general disgust.

"She was so classy, she didn't even throw up on me. She did it on the girl on her left. It was a nightmare," the gunman sighed, looking a little green as he remembered how ashamed he'd felt that night.

They needed some time to digest the story, although they did laugh at Prompto when he told them who did his evaluations the following day.

"I've wanted to die many times in my life, but that might have been the worse one of all."

Cindy still insisted on throwing open a bottle of champagne after their third beer, convinced that celebrating now was for the best. They didn't know how things would go with the Astral and with all the precautions Luna felt necessary to take, they couldn't pretend things would be easy.

"What about your own embarrassing story, Aurum?" Noctis asked playfully.

"Oh, is that… I guess it is necessary since I started this. I swear Prompto, this champagne tastes weird and it's all because of your..."

Argentum retorted with a grimace, mimicking someone vomiting and Cindy set her glass down as she fought against a wave of nausea, one hand covering her mouth. He stopped his imitation quickly, noticing how she'd shivered as she tried to keep her stomach settled. His eyes felt soft and he tried to push away that softness, his voice coming off as a whisper as he teased her, "You got quite the fragile stomach."

Cindy simply rolled her eyes at him, nudging him in the shoulder.

"Let's see who has a fragile stomach when we take that boat tomorrow!"

"Cin, Noctis asked you a question," Luna reminded her friend.

"Okay, okay, sorry for being distracted by our little joker here. So, what was it… I think I tried fixing something after spending a few hours drinking with my pawpaw's crew. I was so unfocused that I cut my palm open up to my wrist. I needed stitches, but I didn't feel any pain. My pawpaw still took me to the hospital and the male nurse who was assigned to me had quite a hard time doing his work. He was cute, and my brain was half gone so I insisted on being fine and flirting. I think I had to be held down for him to do the stitches."

"The poor guy was covered in blood since she wouldn't take her paws off him," Luna chuckled.

"I thought you didn't do flirting?"

"Well, I clearly don't get how it works," Cindy shot back, laughing at herself. "Enough with that weird night at the hospital though. All those bubbles are weird. I need more beer!"

They talked some more, Prompto insisting he could hold his liquor down fine, while Cindy bullied Luna into singing one of her favorite songs. Since they had been reasonable, Luna wasn't off-key and earned herself a string of compliments from the guys that made her blush even more than remembering that improvised concert she'd given. They played a few games of cards, but as soon as Prompto suggested strip poker -how was he supposed to get his mind out of the gutter- the gunman and the prince were both chased from the party table and had to entertain themselves through other means. A set of dart games threatened to turn violent, since Prompto was missing his intended target every time and managed to throw a dart at Noctis when he thought he was leaving the target alone.

"Owww! I had one more dart to pick up!"

"Sorry! I swear I didn't see…"

They agreed to leave the darts alone and sat down with the girls for maybe a few more minutes before feeling the urge to walk out of this lounge and the four walls. Cindy insisted on seeing the haunted painting, Noctis and Luna more interesting in walking hand in hand and enjoying the night air while Prompto tried to help Cindy taking the right flight of stairs and turns in this mazelike city. They were noisy and carefree, laughing as they got lost a few times. It was no surprise that they lost sight of Noctis and Luna after an hour of traipsing around the city, but Prompto didn't expect the change of mood that came with being alone with Cindy.

The pilot was wearing a blouse and a pair of jeans, her yellow jacket forgotten back in her ship, her blonde hair tousled by the wind.

"I wish I could skip on sleep and enjoy the whole night. This place is so amazing under the starlight…" she whispered, jumping on a low ledge of concrete to test her balance.

"Who said you can't? Luna already suggested to hire a driver for the boat to drop us off and pick us back up instead…"

"If you're going to bed in an hour, who's going to keep me entertained?" Cindy teased him.

"You want entertainment? I don't sing so well."

Her right foot slipped, or maybe she missed a step, all Prompto knew was that she was falling and he caught her on pure instinct, his arms around her waist, her head a few inches higher than his.

"Suggested more than you could handle?" he offered.

Cindy shook her head, her hands digging in his shoulders as she tried to regain her footing.

"I want to ask something, and I don't think I'm drunk, but… I don't want you to think of me as a teaser…"

"Ask away," Prompto laughed.

It had grown easier to be alone with her during the past few days, both blonds realizing they had a lot in common. They both liked to tinker with things, Cindy for obvious reasons and Prompto because he needed the distraction. He had disassembled his various guns so many times around her, Cindy had asked him to prove he could dismantle other things. She'd let him experiment with a broken camera. He'd sat in silence for over five hours, much to her amazement. He'd bought lens all of his own accord and had snapped her pictures too many times for her to keep count.

She looked into his eyes as he helped her off the ledge, her hands not leaving his chest and her hesitation made him feel a distress he'd never experienced before. He didn't like how lost she seemed to be.

"I'd like… All those beers and I can't stop thinking yet of everything that could go wrong tomorrow."

"Worried about Luna?"

"Of course I am! This time, it's the tide mother, not just the god-version of the lady who took care of her as she grew up. Aren't you…?"

"I'd like to stop thinking too," he confessed quickly.

The idea either his first real friend or himself could die tomorrow had grown harder to bear with every passing day and now all they had left were hours. Noctis might say he was ready, but Prompto didn't feel ready.

"Okay… Don't make fun of me, I'm all nerves. This is all nerves and booze."

"Cindy, does not thinking involve…?"

"Redundancy? I'm more direct usually. If you kiss me, can you keep your hands above my clothes?"

He blinked, even though his imagination had been hoping for a similar question.

"I knew I should have brushed my teeth."

"We both drank," she reminded him. "And let's be clear, this is a comfort thing."

"Okay. I hope I can be comforting."

"Prom, it's not a one-sided thing, okay? You'll get comfort from me too."

His breath caught in his throat and he wasn't sure if he was lobster red or pale as a sheet. He hated when his nervousness showed, so the gunman decided it was time to give her what she wanted. He kissed her hoping it would push away the fragile impression in his heart. No one had ever offered him comfort so simply. Like, for free, as though he could give it back and was worth…

Her lips were soft, parting almost instantly under his touch. He pulled her closer, hips aligned and chest to chest as they both tried to find the right touches. Touches to say things would be fine, or to ground them in the here and now. Her nose was cold against his cheek and so were her fingertips on his neck.

"Damn girl, if you wanted me to warm you, you should have said so…"

"I said kiss me," Cindy insisted with a playful voice.

There was no need to ask at this point, because the first contact hadn't been enough and he claimed her mouth with less hesitation this time, enjoying the taste of her lips and the way she toyed with his hair. Breath mingling, tongue darting and stroking in a gentle dance, they instinctively backed away from the street, Cindy sitting down on the ledge and pulling him down to her level. He cupped her face with both hands, finding some sort of balance with his elbows on her thighs as he crouched in front of her. A part of him wanted to kneel, but then she'd have to bend her neck and how was that comforting?

They broke apart for air, Cindy gripping his collar with just enough strength to feel demanding. Their eyes met, forehead pressed against one another, cheeks flushed.

"How about… slow and lazy this time?"

"I'm more of a rusher, but I can surely do that," he whispered.

The hunger to his words made her shiver and she surrendered herself to sensation as he kissed a path up her chin, before to nibble at her lower lip, following the tug of her hands. It was slow, somehow lazy, but there was an urgency underlying every brush of skin. If they could only think of this right now, they might forget the risks they were about to take.

"This has to be uncomfortable…" Cindy noted when they parted for the third time.

"Can you sit in my lap?"

"Wha…"

"No one's walking by and I won't grind into you like a dog, I just… Can I ask things too?"

"Of course you can," she looked ready to laugh at his uncertainty, but he gulped down, hard enough for it to be audible.

He was so damn insecure beneath all his jokes, almost clingy in the way he held her. Despite that, his hands felt light on her, ready to back away at the slightest warning. She squeezed his bicep with one hand, her fingers tracing a path up his abs.

"You can touch too, you know."

"I told you I've been pretty frustrated lately…"

"And _I_ told you our clothes were staying on."

Prompto was pretty sure wicked things could happen with their clothes on. He tentatively kissed her jaw, his lips veering to her neck. She moaned into his ears and if it wasn't for her phone suddenly buzzing, the gunman couldn't tell what he'd done. It was getting late though and Luna was checking on Cindy to make sure she'd make it back to her hotel room soon.

"Since when do you give me lessons, Lunafreya?" the pilot teased her friend, not realizing she was now fully straddling Prompto and shifting a bit as she spoke on the phone. He held her waist tighter, hoping she'd get a clue, but her eyes were sticking to the white lines on his shirt and he couldn't find the strength to look away from her lips. They were swollen and a bright red-pink. He couldn't remember the last time he'd kissed anyone like that, if ever.

"We'll be on our way, I hope you and your prince do nothing but sleep tonight," Cindy told her warningly.

As she shifted a bit more, she finally noticed Prompto's growing erection. Silence followed the disconnected call as the pair stared at each other, neither of them daring to move.

"I'm flattered," Cindy tried to sound casual, her growing blush mirroring Prompto's red cheeks.

"How am I supposed to answer that? Flatter me back?"

Cindy obliged him, with a peck on the cheek and a quick gyrating motion that titillated him further.

"You're a good kisser," she told him.

"And you're my torturer. Get off."

"But I'm thinking again."

"Cin, please. Don't make me embarrass myself."

"Oh come on, you can't really be a minute man."

"I am not! I just…"

It had been a while. And he'd never met a woman who wanted to be satisfied. He was a clone, thus a pile of flesh replaceable and undistinguishable from all the others. Sex never involved feelings, or being held or even kisses or…

 _Get off the depress train_ , he mentally chided himself.

"Should I really leave you like this?"

"I think you should, or I won't let you sleep. Or find a room with a door that locks."

It was harder than she'd thought to extricate themselves from each other, but they got to their feet, as awkward as the situation felt.

"After the covenant, we need to find time to see this through," Cindy declared.

"More comfort?" he asked as they tried to find their way again through the streets. He was careful to keep some distance with her. If their hands were to brush, he was pretty sure he'd let out a whimper of need and she was too casual for him to let her see how shaken he was.

"Only if you're willing."

"I am if you are."

It was just a comfort thing and who was he to say no?

…

At first, Noctis had been convinced he was too nervous to fall asleep. But the alcohol had numbed him a bit and Luna insisted on easing his mind with her magic.

"It's too bad you can't do that to yourself. How does it work? Is it some kind of brainwashing technique?"

She huffed at the choice of words and slipped out of his arms to pace around the room. Noctis shifted on the mattress to lean on his side, following her as she moved. She was so energetic despite everything, it was hard to believe she was stuck on bedrest every two days of the past week.

"My magic doesn't work like that," Luna explained to him. "I ease pain. Mental pain is harder to work with, but…"

"Hey, no need to be offended. I feel a lot calmer. Promise you won't use this trick every time I'm worked up?"

"Only if you help me fall asleep."

"Maybe you could start by lying down."

Luna did and sat back up almost instantly.

"I don't think I should do this."

"What?"

"Cindy told me that Prompto thought he was a life container."

"Prompto is always joking," Noctis tried to reassure her. "How does that prophecy go?"

Luna was too on edge to remember about her boyfriend's situation before to explain her fear more truthfully than she'd ever done.

"It takes a chosen King using the powers of the gods! I can gather all the Astrals, but I'm not even sure what I'm doing. Shiva would follow me, but this…" He heaved a sigh against her waist, pulling her down to lie next to him. "I'm being unfair, Noct."

She wanted to apologize more, but he welcomed her into an embrace, and she hid her face against his chest, liking the way she could listen to the words reverberate through him.

"No, you're right. The chosen King is my brother," he paused on the word, wondering once more what Ravus could be up to. Had there been any change in his magic since Noctis's powers were shifting? "He's the one supposed to take away the scourge. He should be doing this shit, not you. He should also be gathering royal arms, but I could collect them when I tried and my magic works after refusing to function for years. What if the telltales were true? What if my brother stole my powers somehow?"

"How does that even work? You could already phase and warp around as a child. When you did the tests with the crystal, how old was your brother?"

Ravus had been a baby, far too young to understand anything about the crystal. Noctis was surprised he could talk so freely about the crystal and his brother and wondered if Luna's magic hadn't something to do with it.

"Let's keep those chosen King questions for later, when I have Ravus in front of me and can know for sure whether the bastard will help you with the Scourge," Noctis suggested. "Luna, if you're worried about me and Prompto, you should know we're a hundred percent behind you. So is Cindy."

"I know! I just… The idea of sacrificing myself is easy, but others…"

His eyes hardened at that, but she couldn't see since he was holding her close to his heart.

"You're not sacrificing yourself, Luna. You said you wanted a future with me."

"I still do. I'm being silly," she started apologizing again.

He talked her to sleep, Luna slowly relaxing as she listened to his breathing and tried mimicking it. In the morning, they exchanged a few but tender kisses to cheer each other up before heading out. The boat ride to the designated island was uneventful and Prompto was a ball of nerves by the time they touched ground. Luna needed both Noctis and Prompto close to her during the covenant, but Cindy could keep her distance. Their boat had been tied to the only dock on this island and the pilot had planned to watch over their ride back the whole time. The sea would grow violent due to the covenant and neither of them wanted to be estranged from civilization even for a short while.

"Okay, Prompto, keep your guns in your holster. The only weapon we need should be my trident. I have to do the prayers now. It might take a while," she added as a warning, slowly kneeling on the sandbank.

Noctis didn't like the idea she was so close to the sea, where Leviathan was all-powerful, but Luna had insisted that she needed to be as close to Altissia and the altar as possible. The magic was harder to reach from here, but she wouldn't put the people of Accordo in danger. Her endeavor was to save them, not to make more victims in her quest to remove the Scourge from Eos.

The first two hours stretched by, Luna not moving from her spot, Prompto unable to hold his tongue and whispering to Noctis that the poor girl's knees had to hurt a great deal already.

As soon as the words were uttered, thunder roared above their head.

"Oh shit, I'm a bad luck charm now!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Prom..."

The wave that rose to the bank nearly pulled Luna into the ocean as it rolled back, and she had to jump to her feet and plant her trident in the ground. A storm had never brewed so fast, at least, not a storm Noctis had ever witnessed. The wind grew, hurling drops of salty water around as lightning struck.

"She's here!" Luna called out.

The next waves made a literal wall of water, crashing over them with the violence of a thundering charge, leaving them coughing and gasping for air. Both men had to blink to keep a good view of the scene unfolding before them. Luna stood against the elements, her ceremonial dress clinging to her skin, hair saturated, barely holding her trident straight. The sea was raging, more waves rushing back and forth. And among them, something like a typhoon, no, it was a serpent, a sea dragon… Its scales stretched infinitely, shimmering under the thunder.

Leviathan rose herself in a roar that left them all on their knees with the exception of Luna, who simply shook her head to remove the salty water from her eyes.

" _ **Who dares to wake me from my sleep?"**_

"I'm the Oracle, speaking in the name of Eos's people," Luna explained quickly, her voice holding steady despite the new wave pushing her back on a few feet. Her boots were digging into the wet sand, threatening to stick there. "I have made a pact with Shiva already and…"

" _ **Insolent human. You dare disturb me for you? What strength do you have? You need a crutch to even stand before me."**_

"I'm not calling you for myself. The Scourge…"

Leviathan sneered at Luna, her tail whiplashing at the water's surface, sending sand, scales and more waves forward. The young princess had to shield her eyes with her forearm, a scale grazing her shoulder leaving a trail of blood on her right arm.

" _ **You're so fragile. All so fragile. Are those tiny men supposed to serve as my dinner? A sacrifice to appease my wrath?"**_

"No," Luna retorted, trying to control her anger. How did one communicate with an angry goddess? "Normally it would be I who should pay the price for the covenant, but the chosen King hasn't shown the intention to take his responsibilities yet."

" _ **Foolish thing a king. Look at me, Oracle. I rule the seas. Do I wear a crown or ask people to bow to me?"**_

 _You sure are full of yourself nevertheless,_ Luna thought bitterly.

"Test me if you will, Hydraen."

" _ **Certainly, tiny princess. If your trident can touch me, I'll do this covenant."**_

Noctis caught only a few words of the whole discussion, but he tensed even more than before as Leviathan rushed into the air, flying above the water, hovering above them with angry eyes. With a single movement of her gigantic body, she could have tidal waves moving, she could call on the wind and the sea with a flick of her scaly snake-like form. And she swam in the air, higher and higher, apparently impossible to reach.

"Do we have to fight that thing?" Prompto asked over the thunder.

"I have to," Luna called over her shoulder. "Noctis, can you warp me up there?"

"I… I can try, but if we get hit up there, it's…"

Death would be swift but still painful.

"What am I supposed to do? Shoot at that thing?"

Prompto's voice was higher than usual but neither of the royal blamed him. Shiva had been impressive, but this…

"Just stay alive," the princess asked him.

Noctis had wrapped an arm around her and threw his engine blade in the air. They zipped off in a blur of blue light.

It wasn't raining, but it could have been. There was so much water in the air, it was hard to breathe. Prompto ran back to the spot where he'd left his sniper rifle, along with a few first aid items Luna had insisted on bringing. He needed all the range he could have and knew that hitting a moving target was almost impossible in the given circumstances. His visor helped him keep track of his friends.

Noctis had to throw his engine blade over and over again, alternating with a weapon the gunman had never seen before. It was a large axe and somehow, Noctis could use it as a foothold.

A few hundred feet above the ground, Luna had the urge to make herself small enough so she wouldn't hinder Noctis. Her eyes shone with a golden hue as she froze a few gales of water midair, giving Noctis more footholds. The ice shattered right as he stepped on it, but it was enough to give him another boost in their surreal ascension. Leviathan didn't stay idle, whipping her tail around to try and throw them back to the ground. Evading her attacks while getting higher was tricky, the worst test of warping Noctis had ever been through in fact.

"I'm the one she wants to fight," Luna told him. "So no… heroics…"

It was hard to speak as she felt nauseous from the warping, with the wind pushing her hair in her face, the prayers still running in her head. Leviathan was so reluctant to be here in the first place, she couldn't help but worry the goddess could decide to up and leave at any point. A part of her was imagining what would have happened if Leviathan had appeared inside of Altissia.

 _Focus, Luna. Focus or you've doomed them all for nothing._

Noctis was straining himself, his next warp less precise and a scale scraped the skin on her thighs, ripping off a good portion of her skirt. Her yelp of pain was lost in the thunder above their heads and she had to blink away the water in her eyes to see if they had long left.

"Brace yourself, Luna," Noctis managed through his gritted teeth.

Leviathan's back was like cold stone and her trident didn't leave a mark on it, although Luna was able to drive the points through the thicker scales. She needed to hold on to this sea serpent monster if she wanted to achieve this covenant. Noctis had more difficulty finding his balance than the princess, but their trainings had been different. He warped left and right to stay on the giant snake, wishing to keep an eye on Luna.

" _ **Pesky little…!"**_

Walking on a moving/flying/floating and furious sea snake monster was a nightmare. Its scales rose suddenly, forcing Luna to jump and pray she would land on her feet and not thin air. She couldn't see all the way to the island, there was too much hail all around, but she knew they were too high for comfort.

One foot after the other, Luna took a dozen steps forward, having lost sight of Noctis. Her trident stabbed at the rock-like scales, her boots slipping here and there, her body shaking in a feeble attempt against the cold wrapped around her limbs.

"Leviathan!" she called out. "This is your planet too. Your world. Do you really… want to see the Scourge win over mankind? What will be next on its path to destruction?"

That gave pause to the goddess erratic movements. Her voice rose in the Oracle's head, deep like the sea, roaring stronger than the thunder.

" _ **Do you think you can threaten me? Do you believe I haven't seen Eos before your pitiful species was even crawling on it?!"**_

Lunafreya glared right back into Leviathan's eye. She couldn't see both at the same time.

"As a goddess, you chose this gigantic body of your own volition. Shiva is much smaller than you. What are you trying to compensate for?"

" _ **Belittling me?! You think that because my frost sister accepted to follow you…?"**_

"My trident is touching you!"

" _ **Pinpricks!"**_ Leviathan mocked.

Luna pushed herself forward at that, using her shield of light to bounce back up as Leviathan trashed about to throw her off. Noctis was screaming in the distance, but the princess had to believe he would be fine. He'd promised to stay in one piece if only to protect her and she knew he kept his word. This right now was her test. She called on Shiva's magic, freezing over the underbelly of Leviathan's body, her trident digging into the ice and drawing dark blood. This time the goddess wailed, her body twisting violently and Luna couldn't hear her own yells of pain. It felt as though her brain was seizing, as though her skull was squeezed in a vice. Blood was coming out of her ears and every sound came muffled to her. Her left foot slipped, and it was only by pushing her trident deeper into the sea snake's flesh that she could hold on.

From far below, Prompto took aim for the nth time and fired. There was a pop and a new screeching, Leviathan's right eye pierced open by the bullet, the tide-mother seething right now.

Noctis had fallen, gotten hit by a few scales that merely bruised him due to luck or the very fragile prayers Luna had whispered against his jacket. Throughout his fall, the exiled prince had warped and phased some more, pushing himself to the limit. He needed to stay high enough to catch Luna if she was to fall too. And he doubted she could do enough damage on her own on that monster. It was hard to know where the ground was. The sky was dark clouds rolling over and over, the ocean was the same dark color, rolling just a bit faster than the clouds. Luna was a white spot in a sea of black, Leviathan coiling and recoiling in the air. He phased through the giant tail for the third time, thanking the stars he could. On the fourth time, he drove his blade deep enough into the sea snake to follow its movement.

It wasn't much sadly, but Luna finally had an opening to cause more damage. Noctis looked up to her, wondering if it was the same woman he knew up there. Her shoulder was bleeding and there were nasty red scratches on her legs, but it was hard to see through the brightness exuding from her. The ice dripped from her fingertips, covered with light, eating away at the goddess's skin. Her trident flashed in and out of her hands, finding articulations beneath the scales. Cracking open more wounds, ice drawing her a path when the sea snake moved too harshly. It was a statement and a warning and her answer to the very challenge given to her.

"As the last Oracle, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, I ask you to lend me your power, tide-mother."

Luna's voice reverberated through the air, speaking in a tongue Noctis barely understood. His heart was beating so fast as he tried holding on, his arms burning, his eyes trying to stay on her silhouette. Her light. Her magic shining too bright. How long could she keep this up? She'd never channeled Shiva's power before. One push, and she would tumble down to a crash and…

 _I'll keep her safe, I'll keep her safe, just stay close enough._

" _ **Very well, Oracle. You took my blood. You may use my power. But first… comes the toll."**_

A shot of lightning lit the storm and Leviathan did the one thing they weren't ready for. She dove back into the sea. Noctis ran and warped, calling for Luna, his voice unable to cover the following thunder. The world was too loud, too dark and the light he kept looking for flickered before fading.

Their descent started, a rush of wind, screaming and darts of blue energy. Somehow Noctis reached Luna and somehow she slowed this horrible fall. The landing involved too much phasing to feel safe, but Prompto was helping them up and saying something over the buzzing in their ears and the entire island shook. Leviathan wasn't simply diving. She was sinking herself into the ground, swimming up along the sand, drawing a circle around them, her blood sipping out of the various wounds the royal pair had inflicted on her.

Luna couldn't stand on her own feet, her hands nearly frozen, her whole body shivering and Noctis insisted on carrying her further away if there was still somewhere further away from that _thing_.

" _ **Can she even handle me? Are you still conscious, tiny Oracle?"**_

Luna's mind was reeling, veins showing on her neck and wrists, her eyes fighting against a pull, rolling back and into place and back again. She shook so hard; her teeth were almost clattering together.

"Is she…?" Prompto asked weakly.

"She's breathing. She's fine," Noctis whispered.

She had to be fine, or that voice pressing against his skull would.

" _ **She can't pay the toll, can she…?"**_

Luna gasped as the pressure from the goddess's voice grew stronger.

"I ca.. can…"

It was a struggle to get the words out.

" _ **Look at that doll. To think you could scratch me so badly too… If you want to handle me, you should at least be able to take this!"**_

A line of scales rose on Leviathan, who shifted her tail so quickly it sent them flying like darts.

"Incoming!" Prompto warned.

Noctis had no energy left to phase and had never made anyone else phase with him either. All he knew was that Luna couldn't defend herself. He pushed her down to the ground, shielding her with his body as best as he could. Prompto ducked closer to Leviathan's body, hoping she wasn't crazy enough to hurt herself while attacking Luna.

Luna was barely starting to regain her senses when she felt the weight pressing on her. The scent of sweat, musk and leather, a leather not common to Tenebrae, told her Noctis was close. Than the metallic smell of blood invaded her nose and she forced her eyes open, her trembling hands nearly clawing at him.

"Noct? Are you…"

He was shaking, his breathing coming out in shudders, his nose digging in her hair.

"You're safe… Safe, safe… Lun… If she does this again, I can't…"

Luna instinctively knew she couldn't move him. There was something warm on her stomach and her heart stopped as realization hit. It was his blood.

The toll… Was this the toll Leviathan wanted her to pay?!

"Why did you do this?!"

His left arm was underneath her, his hand cushioning her head. He'd never leaned his weight on her like this before. He was heavy with pain, trying to collect himself and failing as his system struggled with the shortcuts running through him.

" _ **I'll take my due then…"**_ Leviathan whispered.

Prompto screamed and all Luna could do was wrap her arms around Noctis's head, hoping the goddess would understand he was off limits.

No one saw how the sea dragon shimmered into nothingness or perceived the icy gold in Luna's eyes when the power of the tide-mother shifted to her. The storm was still going strong, Prompto was left a shivering mess, while Luna gently shifted beneath Noctis, trying to ascertain the damage.

Whimpers were coming from his throat and her throat was so tight, it was miracle air still made it through. This wasn't how things were supposed to happen. This wasn't…!

"My arm…"

Luna eased herself on one elbow, Noctis still lying on her, one hand stroking his hair in a gesture she hoped was comforting. Her heart was like a stone in her chest. It hurt to breathe. Now she could see the three large scales protruding from his body. One had dug into his right shoulder blade, the second one in his rib and the third… The third was the main cause for all the bleeding. Just one of these wounds would be too much after the strain he'd put on his body, but all three.

"No… No, no, no."

"It's No…ctis," the prince tried chiding her.

He sounded so weak, his voice shivering in an out.

"Don't talk. I'll… I'll fix you."

"Lun… Shit, I can't…"

"Don't move, Noct."

Her face was wet, and she couldn't tell if it was from the rain falling or if the rain was coming from her eyes. Her heart hammered in her chest too quickly and she couldn't help wondering if his own heart would stop. This was her fault. This was all on her. She had barely any magic left in her veins and he was…

"Just stay with me okay?" Luna begged him. "You can drift to sleep, but you'll wake up again."

"It…" his voice broke a little and so did Luna. "Can't think."

"It's okay, Noct, I'll take the pain away, I swear, I just need to…"

He let out a howl of pain when she shifted again to be free of her movement, which meant he leaned further down, his right arm instinctively trying to hold himself up and turning limp instantly. She couldn't turn him to his side, she barely dared to touch him and when his breathing shifted as his consciousness faded, her vision turned too blurry to even see the light flickering at her fingertips.

"Not like this. Not like this, Noct, please, please…"

Her prayers were stronger than before, desperate now as she tried to find the light remaining deep inside. He'd saved her. Now it was her turn.

To be continued…

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A cliffhanger! Next chapter will take some time, but it's going to be filled with hurt/comfort and Noct/Luna. Then I can finally focus on Ignis like I keep saying I will. I have stuff written on our favorite royal advisor, but it didn't fit with this chapter or this arc. Lots of healing in store for Noctis.

Please let me know what you think. I thrive on reviews.


	11. We're alright

With the nasty cliffhanger I made, I decided to update this story first. So here it is! I hope you'll enjoy!

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Stranded

Chapter 10 – We're alright

"It's okay, Noct, I'll take the pain away. I just need to…"

A howl of pain. His consciousness fading, his body overloaded with pain. His blood was on the sand, on her legs and stomach and she cursed against her own tears, trying to find a balance, a way to hold him in her lap as she sat and struggled to identify the worst wound out of the three.

"Not like this. Not like this Noct, please, please…"

Those scales were larger than dining plates, harder than steel and there were three of them…

 _I need help. I can't lose him. I'm the one supposed to suffer, not him._

"Prompto! Prompto can you…?"

His head was buzzing, his blood pulsing with a cold feeling as he shivered. It was a war against the trembling in his limps to lift himself on his forearms. He saw red and blue spots on the back of his hands. A rash that looked like scales on top of his skin. A growling rang through his head, a spasm making his back twist violently. He whimpered, shaking as a fear he knew far too well seized his heart. There was sand in his nose, in his mouth, in his lungs, his eyes too and the burning sensation in his veins grew stronger. Shiva had taken his energy, leaving him diminished, but this time, he had been the only source of energy for the covenant. He could tell, since the ringing in his ears wouldn't stop and when he blinked, he could see a different plane than the bank he was lying on. It was a dark blue, flowers drifting in an endless sea and his entire body spasmed in protest, pulling him back to reality.

 _I'm going to die. I'm going to die!_

"Prompto, I need your help!" Luna called again.

The gunman blinked, coughing and hacking before finding his breath again.

"What is…"

"It's Noctis, Prom. I can't move him, I need potions and ethers, I…"

Prompto revised his last thought.

 _He might die. You won't, but your one real friend might just die._

"Coming," he promised, pushing on his arms to raise himself. His legs were numb, his muscles twitched, and he knew the magic of Leviathan was still at work. He wasn't sure what that sea goddess wanted from him, what she could need from him, why any god would care for a petty human's life force if that was what was leaving his body right now. It hurt like hell.

Scrambling to his feet was too hazardous so he simply looked up to find his bearing and crawled on all fours until he'd reached the first aid items that were now half buried in the sand. It was a good thing they'd used a weighted case to bring them, because he couldn't imagine what they'd do if they'd been sent flying all over the place. He stashed a dozen ethers and three elixirs in the bottom of his shirt to carry them over to Luna and Noctis. It was weird to walk on three limbs instead of four since he needed one hand to keep the bottles from falling.

He kneeled next to Noctis's head, his eyes widening as he realized how bad the situation was. Luna swallowed a full ether, the light at her fingertips growing stronger and steadier as she immediately imbued Noctis with her healing magic.

"You're leaving those things in him?" Prompto asked with disbelief.

"I can't close those wounds here and taking the scales out would mean letting him bleed out. I can't find my phone. Do you have yours?"

Camilla had vowed to send a ship after her once the goddess would be gone, but with the stormy seas, the first secretary might decide it was better to wait and Noctis needed medical attention as quickly as possible.

Prompto pulled his phone out with trembling hands, his eyes barely looking away from Noctis. His friend was slumped over Luna, his back raising and lowering throughout a very light shaking. His shoulder blade had been impaled by a scale, the second one breaking ribs on his left side while the third one dug in his lower back, plunged in an angle that made Prompto feel queasy.

He dialed Cindy's number first, since she was the closest to their boat and their easiest way off this island if said boat was still in one piece. The call couldn't even connect, which had him curse under his breath. She was supposed to hang tight and be safe, but who knew how the maelstrom of godly powers had impacted on her side of the island. Prompto thumbed the first secretary's number on his phone and put it on speaker, letting Luna surmise the situation and argue about the necessity of a boat heading to their location quickly.

"Didn't you use your own boat to reach the island?"

"We can't reach our pilot and I have one man in a critical situation."

"The covenant worked, didn't it? The waves are barely calming down in the harbor."

"It worked, and I've held my side of the bargain, we took all the suffering and risks on ourselves. Can you help me this time, lady Claustra?"

Luna was promised a boat in one hour in the worst-case scenario and half an hour if things went well. She didn't look pale but translucent by now and Prompto was shocked she didn't keel over under the pressure.

"What can I do to help?"

"I don't want to move him, and I don't see how we can stabilize those scales… Can you bring me more ethers? And maybe a shirt so his face is not lying directly on the sand?"

Prompto gulped down one elixir, his legs slowly returning to a more solid state. He dragged the whole pack of curatives next to Luna, helping her settle Noctis more comfortably while not moving him too much. Luna's right hand never left Noctis's side, her light pouring into him in a steady flow.

"I thought you needed to do that forehead to forehead thing…"

"With the blight, it really helps, but depending on how bad the wounds are I can…" her voice broke as her eyes studied Noctis, the way his face was contorted with pain even while unconscious. She missed a breath and even a full heartbeat, her panic threatened to turn to a pure bout of hysteria. She didn't want to deal with this. "Oh, Prompto, he's so pale. What's your blood type?"

"Uh… You don't want my blood type, believe me."

"It's not like we can do a transfusion here. I'm trying not to lose my mind…"

"Cindy never picked up," Prompto whispered, wondering if adding a different worry to Luna's plate was the best thing he could do. "If I can't help here, I could try and find her…"

Luna turned her head to him fully, her magic still coursing from her to Noctis. Her eyes were red from the salty water and her own tears which kept flowing despite her best efforts. She couldn't register the idea that Cindy could also be hurt. Prompto was pale and she realized his chest had been grazed by one of the scales, an angry tear of blood on his shirt and coat.

"Are you well enough for it? You could barely stand on your feet earlier."

Her free hand reached out and he took a step back, slowly shaking his head.

"Keep that magic for him. I'll come back as quickly as I can. Will you be okay on your own?"

Luna wanted to scream, but it wasn't like keeping him around and refusing her friend the help she most certainly needed would change Noctis's state. That was on her. If she had been strong enough to endure the pain of Leviathan's voice pressuring her mind… If Noctis hadn't felt the urge to protect her. If she hadn't made him her bodyguard to begin with...!

"Of course, I will," she said instead, wondering why the knot in her throat felt this tight.

Why did Prompto have to be attentive and gentle now, when Noctis was lying half dead in her lap because of her own mistakes?

"I'll be back before you know it. Make sure he keeps his pants on."

That made her smile weakly and her voice had almost no bite when she pretended to snap at him,"Jerk!"

Prompto let out a frail chuckle and started in one direction, before hesitating.

"The cabin Cindy is in was that way," Luna told him, unable to roll her eyes at him. She was already focusing her attention back on Noctis.

His dark hair, still saturated, sticking in places and slowly starting to point up as it dried. His breathing sounded good enough considering the hits he'd taken. She tried expanding her senses to determine how deep the damage ran.

"Torn muscles I can fix, Noct, I swear you don't have to worry…"

Except she couldn't fix him right now and the longer it took, the harder it was to fix damage. And if the nerves had been touched… Her eyes analyzed the scales embedded to his back. The angle. She tried calculated how deep they could be in him. The thought made her stomach roll with repulsion. Nothing should pierce his skin or reach him, not after everything he'd been through. How lucky had they been over the past few months, that he'd never gotten hurt too seriously, that he always got away with things she could fix in a heartbeat.

Now her magic was diminished, despite the second ether she swallowed and while she could renew part of his strength, and slow some of the bleeding, there was little she could do.

"I've kept people alive for hours before," she reminded herself.

That had been with medical material around, but it didn't mean she couldn't pull it off now. She wanted to lay his head in her lap and to stroke his hair until the hurt would leave his features, but it was getting harder to focus her magic through her fingers. It burned a little as the minutes stretched and he continued losing blood, growing paler as Luna's skin turned a little more translucent. The storm calmed down. But her heart couldn't, shifting into her own storm of emotions now. Her mind ablaze with the frenzy of potential loss. Just when she'd found him, just when she'd taken the risk to open herself to someone worthy of her heart, she was going to lose him?

"I won't. You hear me Noctis? I won't let you leave if I have any say in the matter!"

…

Prompto had to down another elixir after half a mile, his legs shaking and his head turning. He felt weak, weaker than after a torture session with his father. He squinted, desperately looking for their boat. All he saw was the ocean. The cabin was far, but a silhouette was limping forward. Or was it hopping?

The island being inhabited, Prompto hurried towards her, his eyes taking in the sight of Cindy holding her sides, missing one boot, her left foot bloody, the leather of her suit scratched open over her knees. She stumbled against him, the gunman barely holding her up, his voice a ghost of his usual cocky tone.

"The hell you do?"

"You guys won," Cindy stated, wrapping an arm around his waist as she leaned fully on him.

"We did, but what… Did your foot go through a shredder?"

"Nah, I just hit some corals when the ship keeled over. Like stepping on freaking knives."

"Why were you on the ship?!"

She shivered, her face digging into his chest, making him wince softly.

"I saw our anchor was about to snap, so I rushed onboard to make sure we would have a way out. Do you have any idea how it feels to be the taxi when all of your lives are at stake?!"

"I think I do," he sighed, wrapping his arms tighter around her.

Cindy's fingers found the tear in his clothes and they both gasped, Prompto in pain and herself in surprise. She instantly pulled back from him, although she needed his arms supporting her with her bad foot. Her eyes took in the long gash, which was thankfully superficial enough not to warrant immediate care. He swallowed, wondering why she'd recoiled from him. Was she disgusted by him? A voice in the back of his head reminded him that his blood had to be tainted. Everything under his skin, -skin included- was the heritage of his father, carefully put together to make the "perfect" soldier and surely that showed…

"What did you do to get such a cut?!"

"You should see the other guy," Prompto said.

The worry in her eyes didn't falter at all and he realized she had most certainly seen Leviathan even from this far. As for the other guy… His thoughts instantly went to Noctis.

 _He's not going to die,_ he tried to calm himself.

Needing to occupy his hands, he cupped her face, finding yet another source of worry.

"There's blood in your hair!"

"Oww… So that's why my head was smarting a little," Cindy tried to hide her own surprise.

"Did you hit something?"

"I nearly drowned with the stupid boat, I hit a lot of stuff!"

"Shit, Cin, let me check that."

His hands parted her hair as he took a step closer and the blonde gave herself up to his check-up when she realized he was shaking every few seconds.

"I'm not concussed," she insisted, grimacing as he pulled on the wound despite how delicate he was trying to be.

Her pale locks were tainted with red, but he huffed a relieved sigh. He'd seen enough head injuries going bad with his fellow clones.

"Yeah, it's a small cut. Just bleeding a lot. Not feeling dizzy?"

"No, simply… exhausted. How about you?"

"I'll topple over if you push me," he admitted, his hands drifting to her neck.

He needed to feel her. Sense the warmth beneath her wet skin, the pulse of life despite the blood on his fingers. She let out a moan of pain as he brushed a bruise, but hugged him softly instead of pulling away.

"Why did you come for me?"

"I was worried. And I can be a better help to you than Noctis."

"Was he hurt? And Luna?" Cindy asked, her hands clutching at his shirt.

"Luna has a few cuts, but Noctis is the worst off. We're waiting for Altissia's rescue boat and I… I'm not sure Noct's going to make it."

She blinked, trying to process the news and the seriousness to his voice. Her hand ruffled his hair almost instantly, her gesture almost too soft.

"Oh lords… He'll be fine, Prom, Luna's looking after him. Speaking of her, we should hurry back. Make sure neither of them needs our help."

He let her lean on his shoulder, but after a mere three steps, Prompto halted them, his eyes fixed to her wounded foot.

"You got sand and some weird… is it seaweed? We need to clean that up and wrap it in bandages. Getting more sand inside will only hurt more."

"There's no time for…"

Prompto cut her off by lifting her in his arms, walking up to the ocean. The storm was finally dying down and the waves were lower, although the wind still threatened to take their breath away.

"If we sit down, can you get back up?" Cindy asked, wondering if he should even make the effort of carrying her right now.

Her teeth were chattering together and he huffed, kneeling down.

"Clean that foot first. We'll get back to Noctis and Luna. Then we'll make a signal for the boat with something."

He cut off the lower half of his shirt in strips, muttering that he should have brought some bandages with him seeing as Luna had the first aid kits with her. He hated how messy her foot looked and every little yelp of pain she let out as he tried to be gentle but also fast. The sole of her foot was open raw and angry cuts run on top of it. Tears rolled down her face when he started tying up the strips of fabric, but she insisted she was fine.

They had to help each other up, slowly making the walk back to the bank where Luna continuously poured her magic into Noctis, downing an ether every four or five minutes. Every step was torture and Prompto sank to his knees, his dizziness taking over.

"Prom!" Cindy sank with him, her hand pressing on his back.

 _I don't need help, I'm just…_

"Just give another potion and I should…" His stomach rolled, and he shivered so hard, it was almost painful. "Nope. I'll get sick."

Luna felt overwhelmed by the worry she sensed in Cindy's voice and how weak Prompto sounded. It wasn't only Noctis who needed her light, but he'd turned even paler in the time it had taken for the pair of blonds to come back. She didn't dare to release her healing for an instant and when the rescue team finally touched ground, she barely believed it. It had been 25 minutes of keeping Noctis's vitals somewhere around normal, but it had felt like hours.

Her panic shifted to pure hysteria when the paramedics put Noctis on a stretcher after stabilizing the scales stuck in him.

"We got him, you can…"

"I'm not leaving him!" she instantly protested, her eyes wild with fear.

…

Prompto was diagnosed with hypovolemia, a serious case of anemia upon their arrival to the hospital, where Luna was pried off Noctis and forced to sit in her own examination room while he underwent treatment. Cindy argued until her strength gave out, unable to hold off even though she wanted to support her friend in the aftermath of this covenant. Both women knew by then that the healing would be even more painful than the ordeal with Leviathan itself.

…

"We don't have his blood type," the doctor explained.

"How come you don't have his bloodtype?!" Luna exclaimed herself. "I was here last week, and no one told me there was a shortage for any bloodtype."

"You do know that 0-negative is quite rare," Camelia interfered. "Moreover, we're talking about a clone from the empire. By taking a stand for you and letting you do this covenant, Aldercapt considered we had broken our neutrality and he threatens my people. There has been two raids on our shores already!"

The empire was growing more and more desperate for supplies. Lunafreya staying in Altissia was close to drawing a target on the whole city and lady Camelia had made it clear she wanted her gone. Except Luna wouldn't leave until her team was back on its feet.

"So because of the barcode on his arms, you won't give him a transfusion?!"

"We never said that!" the doctor protested instantly. "We don't have his blood type or any donor at the moment. We're monitoring his status closely. As for the other man," he paused, testing the name on his tongue. "Noctis Caelum…"

Medical records could be falsified, but there was a limit to hiding an exiled prince when said prince was your bleeding out lover. There also wasn't a lot of Lucian men sporting scars from encounters with a daemon like the six-armed naga he'd met as a child. Noctis's past injuries worried his doctors, considering the size of his scars and the rehabilitation he had undergone.

"His body has been strained from early on, so while he will recover from this, you had better not plan to put him on the battlefield anytime soon. His right arm will never work again at full strength. And he's damn lucky his back held on."

Noctis's ulnar nerve had been damaged, his whole shoulder was a mess and his arm barely responded when they tested his reflexes. He hadn't been conscious for more than a few minutes here and there and had never been coherent. He was either too high on painkillers or in too much pain to align two words. And it could have been much worse. The scale causing the most bleeding could have cause so much more damage. Two inches lower, and he'd needed a new hip, a deeper cut and he would have died on that beach… Luna knew it was already something that he survived. It hadn't prevented her from freaking out when she could finally get a look at herself and realize just how much blood he'd lost. Her white dress was stained with it, the rain unable to take away the marks of his sacrifice. He'd received those wounds for her. When he'd woken up with her next to him, his eyes out of focus and his throat parched, Noctis's answer to her desperate "why" had left her heart colder than stone.

"That's… how it feels… if someone you care about…"

He'd passed out again then, but she could hear the word sacrifice ringing all over her head.

 _This is what you're always ready to do. How does it feel when someone else does it?_

She'd never let anyone looking after her become this hurt before. It gnawed at her at every waking moment. Luna didn't know what was worse. How she worried about the sequelae he would keep and how much he'd push himself as soon as he regained consciousness? The fact she inspired him to sacrifice himself without a second thought when all she wanted was for him to stay safe. Or was it how she nearly forgot about Prompto and Cindy altogether as she entirely focused her magic, her prayers and her will on Noctis's recovery?

"Come back to me", she prayed by his bedside.

He looked too pale, wrapped up in bandages, sleeping through the raids and the news direct Luna kept on as she watched over him. The two first days were torture. Cindy had to remind her to eat and ask her if she had gotten any sleep.

"Luna, you're going to drive yourself into a wall."

"I'm fine, Cindy. I just need to hold up until he's better."

"Girl, you can fall apart too. You're human despite being the Oracle. Your eyes are all red and I hear you sniffling at night."

Cindy's wounds had been either stitched or lathered in potion and she could be seen hopping up and about, using her painkillers when things turned too unbearable. She had already started tinkering away with gadgets in the hospital, needing the occupation to keep herself sane. Waiting wasn't something she was good at. And Luna wasn't any better at it.

"How's Prompto?"

"He really wants to get out of here. Hospitals freak him out. I swear, they need to hold him down every time they walk into his room with a needle."

"I really should check on him more often."

"When will you rest if you do?"

"So what, because he's my man, I should only worry about him and myself? Prompto endured the full toll of the covenant while Noctis paid with his blood, quite literally. I'm not…!"

"You're upset Luna, I get it. But we just need to be a little more patient. Noctis should get back to his senses anytime now. He's pulled through. And so will Prompto."

Luna knew she was right. She still couldn't wait to hear Noctis's voice. She wanted to stroke his hair and feel him lean into her touch. To look into his eyes and feel found. More than everything, she wanted to thank him and ease his pain with her light and tell him he should never do anything like that again.

…

"Lady Lunafreya," a nurse called. "You have a visitor."

Luna stood from her chair, wondering if it showed that she had been on the verge of falling asleep. Noctis had yet to wake up from his painful daze and all she could do was listen to the news, go to the various hospitals in Altissia to offer her light to the persons hurt by the empire's last raid and pray for the empire to leave. She had half a mind to summon Leviathan herself to push Nifelheim back, but the raids were all really brief and Camelia didn't want the Oracle to expose herself to the military.

" _You're under our protection for as long as you'll stay here."_

It meant that Camelia couldn't wait until she left, but the first secretary had better accommodate Luna for the time it took Noctis to recover. His vitals were good, and the doctors were confident he could be discharged quickly. The rehab was going to be rough though.

"Luna!"

She jumped, recognizing Nyx's voice. Her heart lurched in her chest. Her eyes had difficulty focusing from how tired she felt, but she saw him in the hallway, holding a small girl's hand while balancing a basket of goods in his free hand. The girl had small braids and pointed her finger at her with a large smile.

"Owerall lady, daddy?"

Luna smiled through her exhaustion.

"Yes, princess, that's Lunafreya. Cure, wait, I said no… Hey!"

Cure had been rocking in place from sheer excitement, but now she took off running, refusing to hold still and Luna couldn't help being worried the girl would miss a step. Her small legs were impetuous in her barely coordinated race and she clearly hadn't learned to fear anything yet. She stopped two steps short of Luna, looking at her with wide eyes and a bright smile.

Her mouth opened to speak, but shyness took over, her small hand covering her lower face and Lunafreya noticed how Cure had inherited Nyx's eyes. Her heart was beating painfully despite her best efforts to keep it calm. Nyx walked up to them, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"We heard from a friend you were staying in the hospital after that covenant. I wanted to check on you," the man explained. "My wife insisted on bringing a gift for your whole team."

Luna took the basket with a wary smile, hoping her unease didn't show.

"That's really kind. You didn't have to…"

"Well, this bundle of shy nerves here wanted to see you badly and with all these attacks, I worried you would go back out when you should catch some rest."

"Luna's hurt," Cure observed, her eyes detailing the bandages on Luna's shoulder.

"Oh, that's a scratch, dearie. I'm made tough. And my friends protected me," she finished her explanation, her smile fading a bit.

"That's good fwends. We meet them too daddy?"

"I don't think you should, baby girl. If we're preventing you from catching rest, we can leave…"

"No, no, you came all this way," Luna hurriedly reassured him.

She was uncomfortable, but that little girl had nothing to do with it. It wasn't her fault if her father had once sort of dated the Oracle and left her for an easier, clearer and steadier life. If he had stayed, it could have been him lying in Noctis's room. She hated herself for thinking that. No one could take Noctis's place. There were no places. All her heart wanted was Noctis. Safe and sound. And awake.

"Sad owerall?"

Luna kneeled in front of the little girl.

"Yes, Cure, I am a bit sad. Do you know what helps at time like this?"

"Hugs?" Cure offered, parting her arms with just a little hesitation.

"Yes, hugs. Do you mind giving me one?"

The girl shook her head no and then yes before to giggle, appearing confused at the answer she should give, while her tiny arms wrapped around the Oracle. Luna pulled her close, soaking in the bright joy she exuded. At this moment, there was no envy in her heart, simply gratitude for the girl's smile and warm hug.

"Feeling better?"

"I already do. Your parents picked a good name for you, Cure."

She laughed again, and Luna held back on tears. Would she ever laugh like that again?

…

Noctis was disoriented to say the least when he finally came back to himself, half wondering why the light was so bright and why the sheets on his bed weren't black. He couldn't believe his dreams had reminded him of his baby brother and the fact they'd gotten along one day, but when the numbness in his right arm registered, he pushed any thought about family back.

"Wha…" His voice croaked out of his throat and his memory kicked into motion.

The scales in his flesh were gone and so was the sand under his skin, but Luna wasn't where she should be and his fingers ticked in a succession of shivers that made it look like he was shaking. His back was on fire and his neck tensed up as he tried to look around. He was lying on his side and could tell rolling around would be painful.

"Noct!" Luna exclaimed as she woke up from her light slumber, rushing to his side.

Her hair was a mess, her face too pale and dark bags sat under her eyes.

"Hey. I… I think I've missed a lot of things."

This was the first time he sounded like himself, despite the tremble to his voice. Luna gingerly sat on the edge of his tiny hospital bed, ruffling his hair to hold back against her urge to wrap her arms around him.

He was still on the mend, despite how many times she'd insisted on using her light on him. The wounds were closed and the worst pain had to be his shoulder and arm.

"You got me worried sick… How do you feel?"

"Sorry?" he sighed dejectedly. "I took those hits and then I couldn't even handle…"

"Please, Noct! When I asked you to be my bodyguard, I never said "die for me"."

He gasped in pain as he tried reaching out for her hand, his arm refusing to move.

"Easy, there's nerve damage to your shoulder and it might run up all over…"

He paled at the news, understanding that his right arm might never answer like it used to.

"Shit! A bad leg _and_ a bad arm?"

"Don't fuss around. There's nothing bad about you, Noct…"

Her hands trailed down his face lovingly, making him wonder what she could see in him. He had to look awful, but her eyes shone just from the sight of him. He wanted to ask how long he'd been out, and about Prompto and Cindy, but Luna was saying something, except her words came out strangely garbled. There were tears in her eyes and while her shoulders shook, her hands were steady on him, in fear she might hurt him further if she moved too much.

"Luna…"

"I'm sorry I'm getting like this. I thought I was going to lose you back on that beach. I should give you a chance to rest, but I need to know you'll never pull something like this again. I was…"

"I thought I wouldn't catch you when we started falling," he cut her off, trying to push himself up to hold her eyes better with his, but she forced him back down, kneeling by the side of his bed so their faces would be leveled. She angrily dried her tears, holding his left hand in hers. "I have no idea how that landing even worked and you were like a broken doll in my arms…" Noctis went on. "I couldn't think about anything but keeping you safe."

"Noct…"

"It worked, didn't it? There was no second wave of scales or another trial to complete that covenant?"

Luna's eyes widened as she realized his brain hadn't registered their arrival to the hospital or all the treatments he'd undergone. Once he'd lost consciousness on that beach, he'd been out of the world, half gone. Ignoring if all their efforts had born fruition.

"It worked. I can't believe you took such a risk, but it worked."

"That's great," he sighed, extending his left arm from underneath him to cup her face. "Did you sleep at all since we got here?"

"It's not the same without you next to me," Luna confessed.

The blush on his cheeks comforted her as much as his smile, but it all receded as the pain caught up with him.

"Ow…"

Her light instantly shone at the tip of her fingers and his protests were denied.

"Did you give me any choice when you tackled me to play the human shield?"

"You usually love when I tackle you," he shot back.

"When I'm conscious and we're lying on a bed, not sand. You lost so much blood…"

He bit his lower lip, turning his head to take a quick look at himself. From the movement under the sheets, she could tell he was wriggling his toes to test them and felt her heart drop in her chest as he squeezed her hand, heaving a relieved sigh.

"That snake didn't break my back…"

"The doctors insisted you'll be walking again in a matter of days. Note my words, walking, Noctis, not running. Or jumping."

"I get it, Luna. I'm on light duty." He clicked his tongue, frowning a bit. "Why does your magic always make my breath taste like marshmallows?"

She laughed at that, taken by surprise.

"Does it?"

"I swear it does! And it's not funny."

"You don't like marshmallows?"

"Not when I'm on an empty stomach. It's like I have acid instead of saliva and the mallows are melting before even getting crunchy."

She shook her head at him, barely holding back her urge to kiss him. She didn't want to encourage him in moving when he was this hurt. But seeing his eyes lit up and how alive he looked now that he was more awake -Luna was certain this nonsense about marshmallows was due to his painkillers kicking in for the nth time-… Seeing him awake and talking to him only reminded her of how much she'd missed him.

"Noct, I really shouldn't, but I want to kiss you."

"How long have I been here?"

"Two days."

"Does that qualify me as a sleeping beauty? Cause then, I don't see how the doctors could prescribe no get-well kisses."

"You're starting to sound like Prompto," she teased him, but instead of smiling, he turned serious.

"How is he? I don't feel like after Shiva…"

Luna's shoulders lowered two notches.

"He's doing better than you, despite his anemia. Cindy is looking after him closely. She made sure he only had male nurses."

"He must be so sad," Noctis forced his laugh, too relieved to mock his friend whole-heartedly.

"I should tell your doctor you're up…" Luna started getting back to her feet, wondering if she could hasten the healing process now that he was back to his senses.

"Wait, don't I get one get-well kiss first?"

The princess crossed her arms over her chest, feigning the debate which was already won in her heart.

"You need rest. And to stay calm."

"Luna…"

She leaned over him, her lips brushing his forehead and he couldn't help a childish whine when she started pulling away. He couldn't raise himself or pull her down to him and he needed a distraction from the pain and the idea his right arm might stay out of commission.

"Are you asking for your reward for saving me, Noctis?"

"Maybe?"

Although, if he was honest, he hoped he'd get more than one kiss for it.

The mattress shifted from the added weight and Luna agreed not to make him beg longer, even though she doubted his breath tasted like marshmallow. The kiss was soft and gentle, a brush of lips and warmth that reassured him as much as it calmed her. Luna had held his fingers and kissed the palm of his hand and his forehead a couple of times during the last few hours, but she had needed this. Feeling him reacting at her touch, even if he could barely reach back to her. She licked her lips as she backed away from him, eyes tender.

"Now focus on healing, mister savior."

"That can't be all my reward…"

"You'll have the rest of it when you're better. And only if you promise me never to do something like this again!"

He opened his mouth to reply with something, but his nurse was walking in and Luna didn't want to argue with her prince just yet. She was going to spoil him rotten first, to make up for all the pain he'd put himself through in her name.

To be continued…

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No cliffhanger this time. More hurt comfort will come in next chapter 😊 And we'll finally see the guys in Lucis. :D Please, review, you know it makes me happy.


	12. Family is something you make for yoursel

So I was more inspired for Stranded once again. Or well, I had more written on it already. I'm moving in a few days, not very far really, same block, new floor, but it still involves extensive packing. I can't wait to be settled in my stuff again and regain some mental efficiency. Today's chapter has flash backs, including child Ignis and the start of his backstory! And Ravus's bashing. And hurt/comfort for Noctluna. 😊

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Stranded

Chapter 11 – Family is something you make for yourself

 _Too many years ago…_

When his mother had first mentioned a vacation, Ignis thought of a day or two in the comfort of their home, making themselves a nest with blankets to read, drinking tea with too much sugar and the occasional humming. Ever since his father's death, his mother had grown more and more secluded, pushing herself to attend social events since her lineage dictated she did.

She had declined her seat on the council and while King Regis tried to make her more comfortable, the fact he'd enrolled her boy to be advisor and tutor to prince Noctis hadn't helped the resentment lady Scientia held toward him. She was proud of her son and wanted him to graduate from the royal academy and knew his job would give him stability, power and status. It was hard to see her six-year-old thrust into the adult world when he should have been carefree and oblivious.

Of course, it was hard to say whether the boy had ever been carefree. His father passed away when he was a mere toddler and the gaping hole in his family had left him looking for solace in books, treaties and rules as soon as he could read them by himself. A prodigy by all accounts, Ignis had always been eager to learn, his thirst for knowledge partially due to the anthologies and history books his mother read for him. The Scientia family was made of thinkers, scientists and while she still grieved her loss, Ignis's mother kept at one thing, and that thing was research. A summit in Galdyn Quay had gotten her more excited than the 8-year-old advisor could remember and he was pretty excited to see it for himself. Getting a break from the prince and his fussy baby brother wasn't a bad thing either.

…

"Mom?!"

Someone had just blown up. Not something, it wasn't an experiment gone wrong, Ignis was trying to understand what he'd just seen, but he couldn't. His ears rang, and his mother had been closer to it, since her own presentation was right after the commencement speech. Now the ranks of scientists and nobles were a mess of confused and/or wounded people. He was one of the only kids around, dressed in a three-piece suit, his hair carefully styled. The air had a metallic smell, covered with something else, like charred meat, although it made his stomach protest.

 _Don't call out, she can't hear anything either._

Keeping his head straight in any situation was his strength and he wasn't sure if he should be glad. He didn't need the logical conclusions his brain was drawing.

 _She's dead. She has to be fine. The war is happening. This can't be real. Good thing the King's not here. Who cares?!_

His left hand was bleeding from a shard of glass which had flown his way, but he was too shocked to notice. Red lights in the dark sky announced the coming of dropships. There was no alarm ringing, no weapon raised, merely people screaming and hurriedly getting to their feet to run for cover.

Their long dresses were getting in the way and their feet sank in the blood-stained sand, making it almost impossible to run.

Someone had blown up and amidst the chaos, Ignis realized his mother was trying to piece that person together. He could only catch glimpses of her with everyone running around. He was thrown to the ground by a pair of strangers and curled into a ball as it soon turned clear trying to move would only get him trampled. When someone picked him up, he shrieked, struggling to get back on his own two feet. His heart was thumping madly, the taste of bile in his mouth making him hack on his own breath.

He wasn't going to let anyone pull him away from his mother when things were this hectic. A bite to the wrist at his would-be rescuer, as inelegant as that solution was, and he tumbled to the ground with a yelp.

"Iggy? Iggy, wherever you are, stay do…!"

Gunshots hurt his ears right after her warning and he dug his face into the sand, quivering like a leaf. She never used his nickname in public, because it made him feel too childish for his duties and it was hard to be taken seriously by most of the maids and guards in the Citadel. He wished she'd call him Iggy in front of anyone if it meant not hearing a gunshot or the thumps that followed them again. The screams had turned to gasping breath and the firing stopped as abruptly as it had started.

"Lady Fulmina Scientia, I presume?"

The voice rising in the chaos was cold and when Ignis looked up, his eyelids desperately trying to push away the ashes falling and the sand floating up, he saw a man in his thirties, clad in armor. He stood next to his mother, eyes calculative, ablaze with renewed interest. He held a sword to her throat.

"What is it you want?" Fulmina asked, barely controlling her breathing.

 _Don't take my mom,_ Ignis prayed, getting to his feet without even realizing it.

"Who is that chap?"

Fulmina spotted him and panicked, her eyes begging him to leave while he had the chance. Ignis had always been obedient to a fault, but his body didn't react to his thoughts anymore. He wanted to hide in her arms and for that he needed to be next to her and his fear wasn't enough to keep him away. His voice wouldn't answer either, so he just followed his heart, his feet walking over corpses and broken pieces of furniture.

"Ignis, stop!" his mother warned him.

"Oh. Your son. That's even better than I'd hoped."

Caligo pulled his sword back, keeping an eye on the lady as he gestured for Ignis to come closer. That made the boy hesitate, but Fulmina's shoulders were shaken by very light tremors. Like on those nights where she missed his father too much and couldn't calm down unless he was next to her.

What can I do to help? What can I do, mom? Negotiating wouldn't work. His few self-defense classes couldn't compensate a gun, or a sword in a grown man's hand and his head refused to work as he saw the blood on his mother's hands. It was up to her elbow, the dark silk of her dress dampened with it, splatters on her shoulders and throat. A drop under her right eye made it look was she was crying tears of blood.

"Stop, my little man, I'd rather have you safe than…"

His chest was heaving now and he hated himself for being weak, but his legs carried him still and he launched himself at her, a desperate shiver running inside his throat. Her arms wrapped around him, holding him safe, although nowhere might be safe again.

"Lady Fulmina," Caligo repeated. "I'm taking you and your son into the empire's custody. It is for your own protection, for this territory is now considered rampant with dysfunctional magiteck soldiers. They were stolen by your people and a miscalculation made them lose control."

As if on cue, the still living runaway presenters and guests started screaming as the metal dolls walked out of the shadows. Fulmina held Ignis closer to her breast, forcing his head down when he tried looking up, her fingers gently ruffling his hair. Her body jumped with every new scream and the boy wanted to hold back the tears stinging his eyes.

"We won't be going anywhere. This is a gross infraction to the treaty we had with…"

"The treaty has ceased last night when Lucian soldiers stole Nifelheim military weapons for their own gain. You can blame your line for receiving this consideration of the emperor himself, my lady, but be difficult and I'll be happy to take your scion alone. Being an orphan is still better to being dead. Or worse yet. A daemon."

Gasping protests, Fulmina held her boy even tighter.

"Mom?"

 _I should be thinking of a plan, but I can't…_

"It will be okay, sweetie. I'll need you to be strong for me."

He didn't feel strong, not when she was kissing his forehead and holding him with her hands all sticky from the blood. Not when he knew a man was standing over them, talking about kidnapping as casually as if he was inviting them over for dinner.

"So, fair lady Scientia. Can I have you follow willingly? You can be our guests or our prisoners, it's up to you." Ulldor assured her. "And asking for your boy to be left behind is the best way to have him die in an unfortunate event. Look around you."

She did, met with desolation. There was no help in sight. Nothing but red eyes glinting at her, people taking their last breaths and robots pushing down cocktail's tables in a crashing of broken glass.

 _Mother, you don't know what they'll do. We might never see Insomnia again. What if they experiment on you?_

There was a dozen tales on the empire. On its technology, so advanced it was close to blasphemy. On the fate of its citizens.

"We shall be your guests then," she whispered, resigning herself.

Years later, when asked, Ignis would say that he never was a guest of the empire. He became a prisoner that night. And his mother… Well, there was a reason why his mother was under constant watch from nurses in her home on the outskirts of Insomnia, as far away from the Citadel as she could be.

…

" _Noct?"_

 _The older boy looked up from the comic book in his lap. He was in his bed despite the late hour, for the third consecutive week, propped up against pillows, a machine beeping by his side monotonously. Regis had it installed when he'd tried sneaking out with Gladio's help, and Gladiolus had been temporarily relieved from his duties to the first-born prince._

" _What do you want, Rave?"_

 _Ravus could still walk and that very fact got on Noctis's nerves. His brother had visited him twice, only with their father, and his face had been covered with bruises from the accident. Today, the boy was alone, his hair cut slowly getting back to what it used to be. The bruises were gone, but his eyes retained some of the fear from that night._

" _I… I thought… It's mom's birthday and we usually spend it together, so I thought…"_

 _The four-year-old didn't usually stutter, but he'd never seen his brother hurt for quite that long._

" _It's… I lost track of time. Dad is still on his trip, isn't he?"_

 _Ravus nodded quickly and Noctis realized his eyes were red. Regis had left three days ago and he wouldn't be back before a full week. The first born had heard through the maids that Iris was staying home with a cold, which meant that Ravus had to spend every day on his own. Ignis was still missing and Noctis was starting to wonder if he'd get back his advisor. His friend._

" _I don't know if we can go see her…" Noctis sighed._

 _They would usually visit her tombstone to pay their respect on her birthday. Since the anniversary of her death was Ravus's birthday, Regis had preferred to take away the gloom of the cemetery._

" _You can't move, huh?" the small boy whispered, adding in a lower voice, more for himself, "that's my fault…"_

" _Blame your short legs," Noctis tried teasing him, quickly realizing this was a mistake._

 _Ravus broke into tears, his shoulders shaking as he stood there, looking small and pitiful._

" _Hey… Don't…"_

" _I'm sorry, Noct," Ravus managed, lowering his eyes._

" _What? We already said this wasn't…"_

 _But Ravus was shaking his head and explained what he'd understood of the situation._

" _Dad left because he can't t…talk to me, and you're hurt because I c… couldn't run fast enough and everyone's mad at me."_

 _His little fists waved up and down as he tried to make his point. Noctis pushed his book back to the foot of the bed, wincing as he sat straighter. His legs were tingling and he needed them massaged soon, but for now, he wanted to make sure his brother would feel better._

" _Come over here, Rave," he asked, tapping the mattress beside him._

" _Really?"_

" _Well, it's not like I can jump down right now. And it's not your fault, you weren't holding that giant blade."_

" _Dad would have made a shield," Ravus observed, walking up to the bed, sniffling a bit._

" _Forget dad, brother, today's mom's birthday. She wouldn't want you to be sad."_

" _She wouldn't want you to be sad."_

 _Noctis huffed, crossing his arms and Ravus found the courage to climb on the bed. Noctis didn't wait, pulling his younger brother onto his lap as soon as he could get his hands on him._

" _Isn't that dangerous for your legs?"_

" _You're super light, Rave. And we can't forego the tickle war."_

 _Aulea and Regis had started that tradition with Noctis and the prince had insisted on keeping it even after his mother passing. It was one of the rare occasions that made him feel like they had a normal family and not the really tensed situation they were in with the crown and the crystal._

" _Oh no, not this year," Ravus instantly protested, but Noctis had already reached for his sides and tickled a dozen laughs out of him before letting him catch his breath._

 _The younger prince tried poking him in the ribs, but he had yet to win a tickle war. Regis and Noctis loved ganging up on him, when the brothers didn't team up against their father, who'd always end up cheating in a fun way._

" _That's better," Noctis observed, ruffling his hair in the way he knew annoyed Ravus the most._

" _Hey!"_

 _But there was a smile on the small boy's face now, because this was how they treated each other normally. The noggin turned into a light fight, Noctis halting it by hugging his brother when he felt they both had had enough._

 _They stayed in silence, lying next to one another, trying to push away the memory of the awful night where Noctis had been lying over Ravus, his blood slowly covering him._

" _Noct?" the blond boy asked, holding his breath in fear his elder wouldn't answer._

 _On the night of the attack, Noctis had been silent to his calls and Ravus had been trapped there, soaking in the blood, not sure if his brother was gone or just…_

" _Yeah?"_

 _Ravus sighed, hoping Noctis couldn't tell he was still scared._

" _Do you… miss mom?"_

" _I sure do. Why?"_

" _I… I can't remember her. How was she?"_

 _Regis never talked about Aulea, except to say Noctis had her eyes._

" _I… I don't remember much."_

" _Can you tell me?" Ravus nearly begged._

 _How could he say no to that?_

…

Ravus was staring at the screen of his phone with a mix of disbelief and pain. He had been the ghost of himself for the past few days. Gladio didn't talk to him after breaking his nose and left wrist, telling him their training would be off until he was healed. Iris evaded him like the plague, his father was too busy to see him, the servants were shifty from sheer nervousness at the idea he could blow up and Ignis… Well, Ignis wasn't much different from his usual. He did his job perfectly, getting problems solved, following Ravus through his lessons, bullying the teenage prince into eating his meals, berating him for not putting together suitable luggage for the upcoming trip and ending up pushing him out of bed every morning so he would follow his schedule. Ignis had also packed his things for him and imposed him a haircut.

"At least, you can try to look like a proper prince as you leave. With everything going on, your people need all the nice illusions they can get."

There was no anger in the advisor, no sign of malcontent. If anything, his voice was flat, his eyes showing no annoyance but no interest either. He'd never fully supported Ravus, nor Noctis either, but the prince would find out the truth about his aloofness soon.

The headlines on all the newspapers this morning were all over foreign news.

 _Lady Lunafreya's covenant with the Tide Mother leads to storm and casualties._

Almost every boat in the harbor at the very time of the covenant had been obliterated by the raging sea, although the casualties were mostly wounded, thanks to the fact the warrior princess had made her whole enterprise on a neighboring island instead of the Altar in Altissia. The next headline fully got Ravus's attention.

 _Banished Prince stands by the Oracle._

 _The Oracle sided with Noctis -formerly Lucis- Caelum, known for his cunning in battle and the charges against him for attempted fratricide. Can the Oracle be considered on our side anymore?_

And there was another one.

 _The Oracle Gone Soft?_

 _Witnesses say the Oracle has been seen spending a lot of her time beside her bodyguard, now known to be the former Lucian Prince Noctis, as he recovers from serious injuries. Some speculate if the Princess is losing her edge as she tries to settle down with a Prince. Is the Tenebraen leader no longer the warrior princess?_

All Ravus could process was "serious injuries". And it seemed that Ignis had noticed that part too, for he was a few minutes late at breakfast that morning, putting a paper copy of the gentlest article regarding the accident in Altissia in Ravus's hands before even greeting him.

"Why do you want me to see this?"

"Because your brother nearly died," the taller man explained. "Lately, you've been needing happy thoughts."

"What?!"

"You once ordered me to chase him away or kill him," Ignis reminded him.

"I…!"

"Be advised that if we are to meet Noctis again, things won't go like you want them to. I am no puppet."

Gladio had threatened Ravus more directly, making it clear he would protect his sister before the blonde prince.

" _After all, family should come first, don't you agree?"_

Coming back to the present, Ravus wondered what Ardyn would say. The guy would have a solution to make the situation shift in his favor, he always had. Although Ravus hadn't seen him in a while. Because of this one ally, he'd lost everyone else. And if it didn't eat him alive, he was pretty certain his guilt alone would. With a heavy heart, he pushed his breakfast aside and prepared for the brief audience with his father before to leave in the Regalia.

His retinue was made of Ignis, Gladiolus and Iris. Regis had insisted on including the young girl to the lot despite Clarus's protests. Things had been quite tensed in the Amicitia's family, with Gladiolus being torn between his duty and his need to break more of Ravus's bones. No one had given the future King's Shield any trouble for his one and only assault on Ravus, the concerned prince acting quiet and far from commanding around him on the following days. It was hard to say if the teenager was scared of taking more of a beating, lost in confusion or weighted down by the sudden awakening of his conscience. He missed Iris's smiles terribly, but the girl couldn't manage a smile as she wore her version of the Crownsguard uniform, standing in the throne room next between Ignis and Gladiolus, Regis sitting in his throne as his second son walked up the stairs.

The King had superbly ignored the recent disputes between the prince and his closest bodyguards. Ravus didn't feel ready to see him right now, but he also didn't want to miss his last chance of seeing his father before he'd come back from his pilgrimage. He felt like an utter failure right now and was desperately clinging to the hope he could redeem himself by collecting enough royal arms to prove he was owed his place as crown prince.

"Today, my son, crystal chosen and wielder of our ancestors' magic, you set out on a journey that every rightful heir to the throne took before you," Regis started, his voice drawling on the words "chosen" and "rightful".

Ravus swallowed. The pressure on his shoulders was nearly suffocating.

"You will gather five royal arms and see the state of Lucis with your own eyes. My Glaives should keep any empire's advance at bay, but if there was to be an attack, I expect you to step in."

Looking up, Ravus wondered if that meant he was also expected to lead the troops. That was something only Noctis was ever trusted to do. The thought made him want to ask whether the King had seen the headlines referring to Noctis. But something cold exuded from his father. The space between them was packed with tension.

"You're impressively silent today, Ravus. Are you that eager to leave?"

The simple answer was that Ravus was eager to prove himself. And hoping he could somehow regain Iris's trust.

 _Why aren't you talking about Noctis? Why didn't you react after Iris went out to see you the other day? Why are you sending me off like this as though nothing happened?_

"Maybe I am," he said instead, lacking his usual bite.

Regis considered him with a light smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Well, off you go now. Just make sure to come back. This old man can only lose so many sons…"

Iris planted her nails into her palms, hoping that would help her keep her voice down. This masquerade made her sick. Gladiolus exchanged a brief look with his father, who stood by the King's side, stoic and strong, like always. Ignis barely disguised his own surprised exclamation with a cough and the three of them couldn't wait to leave the room. They were all worried about Noctis after reading the news. As soon as the doors closed behind them, Ignis pulled out his phone and squinted his eyes, letting out a disappointed breath.

"Nothing yet, huh?" Gladio whispered to him.

Iris frowned at that, but Ignis was already shaking his head, while Ravus quickened his pace, trying to ignore the foreboding impression his retinue would keep him out of their discussions for most it not all of their trip. Both Amicitia's phones buzzed and they found texts from their father, wishing them a good trip and reminding them he wanted regular news if possible.

"The nerve of our old man," Gladiolus said through clenched teeth.

"He has a right to be worried. You've seen the news about the attacks on Altissia. As soon as the Nifs are tired of flying over water, they'll come over this way," Ignis warned.

Iris paled, but she had heard her father arguing with Gladio and seen how tense the Glaives were acting lately. When they sat down in the car, Ignis as the driver, Ravus reluctlantly sitting next him while the pair of siblings shared the backseat, the young girl couldn't help looking back at the citadel. She had no idea where the real Regis was or what words he would have told Ravus. All she knew was she needed to warn her friend, no matter how angry she still was at him.

…

Noctis couldn't complain about being bored. Luna spent most of her waking moments with him in the hospital, while Prompto and Cindy visited him often. The first time, seeing Prompto walking around with a few bandages pocking out from under his hospital gown and his freckles standing out on his face had made him feel bad for not worrying more about his friend. Now that the man had been discharged, the regular visits comforted him. They'd started calling each other "bro" without Noctis realizing it and the three friends made sure no newspaper reached the convalescent prince.

"Did you really not have a single female nurse watching over you?"

"Depends if you'd consider Cindy a nurse. She's been pretty awesome."

"Wow. You actually complimented a girl without referencing to any of her body parts!"

"Oh, come on, I'm not always… Just take a good hard look at yourself, Noct. You're so self-conscious and getting jealous of how sexy I look, you had to go and collect more scars. I hope you feel manly enough now."

"I swear Prompto, you'd better not believe this is your chance to get unpunished teasing done."

"You can slap the daylights out of me when you're back up, man. But knowing how you eat, that's not going to happen even with Luna fixing you up with her magic."

"Hey!"

It was silly and Noctis was glad for it, even though that last comment made him wonder about the meals Ignis would have prepared for him. He missed Lucian meals more than he would dare to admit it. And with the long rehab he needed to go through to regain some control in his right arm, he wondered how long it would take to even be in Lucis. Although it wasn't like he would be able to see either of his old friends when he went…

"You got that forlorn look again, buddy. You're not allowed to think about sad things in the hospital!"

Prompto jumped to his feet and the color instantly drained from his face as the nearly permanent dizziness hit him violently. Noctis was still lying on his side, he was only allowed to sit up for short amount of times and he was left to look helplessly as Prompto took two steps and dropped to the floor in a shivering heap of limbs.

"Hey! Do you need a nurse?"

"No, no, don't worry yourself, I'm just… so freaking dizzy. Got up too fast," the gunman explained with a frail chuckle.

He rubbed his shoulders in a meek attempt to warm himself and Noctis felt bad. His friend shouldn't be walking around the hospital like this.

"You should be more careful, Prom. Maybe have Luna look after you?"

"She tried, but I'd rather she keep her energy for you. Her magic makes my skin itch. And all that marshmallow taste in my mouth. Ugh… You've heard about diabetes, haven't you? Am I making no sense again?"

"Just a bit. Here." Noctis managed to aim his top bed sheet at Prompto's head.

"Ewww. This smells horrible…"

"Well it's warm, you tiny ice cube!"

"Warm with all the farts you managed in the past few days?"

This was a good summary of nearly every time Prompto visited Noctis in his hospital room.

There was one visitor that Noctis hadn't expected though, one who came out of nowhere. She walked with a small limp, wearing a black woolen dress and a large red scarf covering her hair. He'd only met her once before, and not for long, since time was always short around her.

Aranea Highwind knocked on the doorframe to announce herself before walking into the room. Luna had left to get herself food, having stayed for longer than she'd intended and Noctis was actually sitting this time, propped up against the headboard. He was trying to flex his fingers once again, holding his right wrist in his hand as he tried to handle the pain running all over his arm to the back of his shoulder.

"Should I call a nurse to tell her you're over-exerting yourself, blue blood?" the former dragoon fighter teased him.

"Aranea?! How the hell…?"

"I don't always push pen and paper," she declared.

Her eyes asserted the damage and Noctis could instantly tell why she was here. His voice was gone, and he stared right back at her, his mouth hanging open.

"Specks asked me to check on you, that's right. That face makes you look pretty stupid, so you'd better stop."

He tried to regain his countenance, but he couldn't believe it. The last time he'd seen the guy…

"Ignis is… worried about me?"

"What are you, five?!" Aranea shook her head. "You're like his only real friend. The whole, covenant thing and murderer prince serving as bodyguard to the Oracle is all over the papers too," she added, making quote marks in the air to accentuate the fact the word murderer was from the paper and not her.

Noctis's face darkened and his voice turned bitter.

"How many people did you kill to even land here?"

"Do you think I would tell you about it, never mind the digits going with a yes? I live with risks, I'm not suicidal."

A roll of the eyes was her only answer from him. Noctis knew Aranea had been the one thing keeping Ignis sane during his captivity and how the two children had basically saved each other. The Highwind family was of noble blood in Nifelheim, but Aranea's grandfather had fallen from grace and it had been a struggle to her parents and her to make a living in the empire. She was Ignis's bodyguard for a while, protecting him from the other children, helping him with his training and slowly taking his side, while also showing him that Nifelheim wasn't all about evil and greedy soldiers. She still became a soldier and the leader of her squad soon after he left for Lucis with his mother. Aranea had been wounded too badly to stay on the battlefield and found herself pulled back to the planning of battles, for she was one of the most efficient strategists Nifelheim possessed. Most battles she'd planned turned out with minimal casualties on both sides. And she had been playing a dangerous game during the last few years, sharing information with Ignis after the meeting Noctis had organized for them.

"Well, I'm alive and I should get out of this place in a few days. Should I expect a commando waiting for me by the door?"

"Or a back alley?" Aranea suggested. "You're not a Lucian general at the moment, so you should be fine. I'm trying to have us move out from here, but…"

She lifted her hands, dropping them to her hips with a sigh. Noctis remembered wondering how Ignis could like her, once upon a time, when he was still more of a child. At one time, all Niffs were enemies. Black was good, and home, while white was pretentious liars, expanding over the world like the scourge. Now everything around him was greying. His new best friend was an imperial clone.

"Did Ignis give you… any word from Lucis?"

"I told him I was no messenger, but he wanted you to know he's been digging up on your brother. And one man called Ardyn."

For the first time since he'd woken up in his hospital bed, Noctis was able to clench both of his fists, which resulted in a small gasp of pain. His arm felt so ridiculously numb.

"You're still going to Lucis, right?"

"As soon as I can get this limb to work," the prince said.

"I'm not worried about you. You're pretty resilient. Worse comes to worst, I can give you tips for office work," she teased, slapping her left thigh.

"Ha, recruiting even here? Having our Specs is not enough for you?"

She blushed and deflected to another subject. They didn't make small talk for long after that. Aranea never liked staying in one place for long and they had never gotten to the point they could call each other a friend. When she walked out the door, it was to be confronted with Luna, but the silver-haired woman tightened her scarf around her face, saluting her with a nod before walking off.

"Was that…?" Luna started, rushing into the room as to make sure her wounded lover was fine.

"Do you know her?" Noctis mused.

"You do?!"

"Not a lot, she's…"

"Why was she here? How do you know Aranea Highwind?!" Luna asked, nearly dropping the platter of food she'd been carrying on the retractable cupboard by his bed.

"Whoa! Not so loud! You do realize that she risked her life coming out here?"

"You do realize she might be the one choosing the targets the Niffs are firing on?!"

Noctis grimaced. It had always been a source of arguments between Gladiolus and Ignis, and he himself had had his doubts more than once.

"She didn't try anything funny, she was just checking on me. She's my advisor's… I mean my friend's… It's pretty complicated, can you stop pacing and sit down with me?"

Luna was wringing her hands together, clearly thinking back on the many battles against the empire and every of the ones she'd lost.

"I…"

"Luna, please. Seeing you this flustered makes me nervous."

She obliged him, her gestures tentative and overly careful. The bed was small, and she didn't want to put any weight on him, even if it was only leaning her head on his good shoulder. She sat on his left side and Noctis decided not to comment that he wouldn't break from being touched. He was diminished and trying to pretend otherwise would be foolish. He didn't want to address it yet either, because he needed more intimacy before he allowed himself to even process what he'd lost. His right arm was his sword arm. Fighting was how he'd always defined himself. The prodigy trainee. The general of his father's army. Luna's right hand man. Now he couldn't even hold her hand with his right hand.

"Come closer," he asked, voice gentle, his eyes softer than usual.

"Noct, I don't need a hug, I need answers."

She was worried someone would pass by and see just how closely she kept an eye on her bodyguard. She didn't want the newspapers to worry her, but she also didn't want people to lose faith in their Oracle. It wasn't about her, but more about keeping hope alive in people's heart.

"Well, _I_ need a hug," Noctis countered. "All you do lately is ruffle my hair. I'm not a cat."

"Are you sure? You do love lazing around in bed."

"You're lucky I love you so damn much."

He wrapped his good arm around her, pulling her close, kissing the crown of her head and her brow. Luna couldn't help a gasp, her hands instinctively clutching to the front of his gown. The very feel of his arm around her back made her realized how much she missed his embraces.

"I love you too," she breathed out.

"Luna, are you cold? You're shivering so much…"

"No, I'm…" she hiccupped on a sob and Noctis finally understood. "I thought I was losing you…"

"I'm sorry. You scared me too, you know?"

She tried to dry her tears, but the fact he was holding her and she could feel his warmth cracked her last defenses.

"I'm sorry, Noct, I'm so sorry."

"Luna, please, if you start, I'll just fall apart," he warned, voice already shuddering.

"No, no, you're fine, you're safe, I'll keep you safe, Noct, there's no reason to…"

"But that's _my_ job."

She shook her head, her hair brushing his chin before that she moved a step away from him, their eyes locking together.

"Not anymore. I know I made you my bodyguard, but that was before… I need you safe just as much as you do, Noct."

He tried to raise his right arm, but the pain overwhelmed his nerves and he gritted his teeth, pleading with her.

"Don't take fighting away from me, Luna. I'll get better before you know it, I'll use more magic to compensate using my left, I can still warp around and help you touch the clouds, I…"

Her hands cupped his face as the first tear rolled down his cheek.

"I know you can still fight, Noctis."

"And I can still protect you, I'll need time, but…"

"Stop, my love. It's okay."

She kissed him once, even if his lips made a tight line and he couldn't answer her gesture in kind.

"It doesn't feel that way. You don't need a cripple."

"What I need is you, Noct, just you."

He hated his insecurities. He wanted to push the doubts aside. If Luna didn't care enough to stick around a guy in his state, why would she be here all the time? Why did she even let the papers use their name together when she wanted them to stay incognito? Why didn't she enroll a new bodyguard? His throat felt too tight and his heart ached. He had been stuck in a hospital room before. Stuck wondering if he would ever walk again. What would his friends say once they knew? Could he even punch Ravus in the face anymore if he wanted to?

"Luna…" he rasped, desperately trying to fight against the rage, bitterness and apprehension overwhelming him.

"I love you, Noct. Can you believe me?"

He remembered how Prompto has insisted his hair was oily and he looked like a nightmare.

"I can. I just don't want to be a burden."

"How could you be. You helped me touch the clouds. Made sure I landed safely."

Luna lifted his right hand as gently as possible, kissing his knuckles before to turn his hand over, planting a kiss on his palm.

"Don't do that," he sighed.

"Why? You can still feel me, can't you?"

She guided his hand to her cheek, stroking his trembling fingers.

He did feel her. Through the burning sensation in his veins and the pinprick of pain, he sensed the softness of her skin. How a spot was drier than the others. His eyes took her in, his heart swelling in his chest. It might overflow if she kept this up.

"Luna, you…"

"Does it hurt?" she cut him off.

The trembling reached his head and she realized he was nodding. Her smile was half sad as she offered her help.

"I can fi…"

"Don't use your light. It's not your powers I need, Luna," he pulled her in, encouraging her to sit in his lap, slowly hiding his face in the crook of her neck. "It's you that I need."

They held on to each other, even after both had stopped trembling. If anyone saw them, nobody thought it wise to interrupt the pair.

To be continued…

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More hurt/comfort to come, but also more variety, since we will share our time between Ravus's retinue and Noctis's rehab. I aim to write some more Silver/Gold in next chapter. It might take a while before the next update since I need to write on Unexpected and I am moving this Saturday. More than ever, I want a time turner. Or maybe just to travel in time with Umbra.

As always, reviews make me happy.


	13. Stars fall in her wake

I don't want to say much about this chapter, outside of Silvergold and some heavy retribution for the empire. I hope you'll enjoy it. I'll go sleep like a good girl now.

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Stranded

Chapter 12 – Stars fall in her wake

Prompto was shivering in his sleep again. Cindy couldn't help checking on him every night and every night she grew a little more worried for the man. His bloodwork was good, but he was still affected by his anemia. On the fourth night, she couldn't stand it and gently shook him awake to ask if he minded some company. The fact there were bombings in the distant might have been a factor, but the pilot refused to accept the idea.

"Shit, even when I'm dreaming, I still feel groggy as hell," he grumbled, bending his neck to look at her. He always, always slept with his back to the door.

"I'm real," Cindy corrected, pinching his cheek to make her point.

"Ow! You want to join me so you can beat me up?!"

"You look cold," she observed, crouching by his bed so their eyes were levelled. "And my mushy heart can't stand it," she continued with a playful tone.

Her eyes were serious despite the cheeky smile tugging on her lips and it was still in a daze that Prompto raised the covers, allowing her to join him on the small mattress. He didn't have the strength to roll over and realized Cindy was intent on warming him up. She slipped one arm around him, between him and the bed, her chest pressing against his back, her nose tickling his neck. She was spooning him, her lips grazing his nape for three delicious seconds. He tensed at the closeness, barely refraining himself from shaking.

"Everything okay with you?"

"Luna didn't pay you to do this, right?"

Cindy would have felt insulted if he didn't sound so genuinely surprised.

"You need to stop that pity number, Argentum. I'm here of my own accord, but more self-doubt like that and I'll leave of my own accord."

"That's pure manipulation now. You think I can only function on a reward and punishment system?"

"I think you should stop acting like you aren't worth anything. You came all the way to Tenebrae to claim yourself a new life, a _real_ life. How will you start it if you keep like that?"

Prompto tensed even more at that.

"We've known each other for a few weeks, Cin. Sorry, but I'm not sorry of still being wary. Especially when you've decided you have me all figured out. I don't like being a cute wounded kitten for lonely girls to play around with."

She pushed against his back, unable to accept the way he looked at her kindness.

"I'm not lonely! I was trying to be nice!"

Prompto didn't turn around to look at her as she sat up and motioned to leave. He drew his shoulders further inward and dug his head into the pillow, wishing he could hold his tongue and think twice before lashing out.

"I don't know how to handle that," he sighed.

It came out muffled, but Cindy still halted in her steps.

"What was that? Speak up mister "I don't wanna be a charity case" she asked, making air quotes at him.

Prompto couldn't help wondering why she was even still there. He pushed himself up to look at her, his arms struggling pitifully, his short locks pointing in every direction.

"I'm sorry. Nice is… really scary for me."

She heaved a sigh, looking back into his eyes for a long time. There was a nervous flicker in her left hand and he couldn't help noticing the haunted look on her face.

"It's scary for me too," Cindy confessed.

She turned on her heels right then and Prompto had no idea what to say to hold her back, watching helplessly as she left.

…

On the following morning, Prompto went out of his way to be polite and full of care for the pilot. It was his attempt at a truce and Cindy decide to show him how kindness was supposed to be repaid, thanking him and teasing him in turns. Luna barely noticed their change in behavior, focusing on Noctis's treatment and Camelia's demands to deal with the empire. After a whole six hours of delicate attentions, Cindy was growing a bit overwhelmed.

"You don't need to hold the door for me," she sighed by the middle of the afternoon.

Prompto had accompanied her out to collect groceries and since he couldn't carry every single bag for her, he made it a point to help her with everything else. He did so with a flourish every time, giving her a slight bow that nearly send him tumbling when his dizziness got too strong.

"But _I_ need to see the look on your face when I do," he shot back.

Cindy froze with a deer caught in the headlights look on her face.

"Wha…?"

"Makes for a better reason to feel so dizzy all the time."

He gave her his most dashing smile and she hurried through the door to make sure he wouldn't see her blushing. She could hear him laughing as he followed and swore she'd get her revenge. What she couldn't tell was that Prompto too had blushed, up to his ears.

The whole shopping trip had been because Cindy wanted to prepare dinner for Luna, even though she was more used to microwaving mug cakes, ramen and ordering take outs than cooking.

"This kitchen is too small for two persons," Cindy told the gunman.

He bumped into her on purpose, which made her drop a small amount of pasta on the floor. They were in the kitchenette of the hotel suite Luna was given for her prolonged stay in Altissia. They had three rooms, a living room, two bathrooms and this mockery of a kitchen, with a retractable counter, the tiniest fridge Cindy had ever seen and less walking space than a closet.

"Look at you, wasting food," Prompto wagged his finger at her, while she pushed the fallen pastas with her foot to prevent either of them from tripping. "This room, girlie" the gunman went on, taking his best cowboy voice, spitting away an imaginary strand of grass "it ain't big enough for the two of us."

"Then stop behaving like a child and leave!" she insisted, giving him a playful slap on the hip.

"And let you burn the place down?"

"I'm not that bad. Like you know how to cook!"

It was true that since the team had left Tenebrae, Noctis and Luna had handled the "real" cooking between themselves with Cindy pitching in on occasions.

"My dead root stew is the best of Gralea," he declared with such a serious expression, Cindy burst out laughing. "And my nail crackers…"

"Eeewwww, stop! Grate some cheese and help me out but please stop messing around!"

He laughed with her, his smile faltering slightly when he asked:

"So, isn't this the part where you see the beast and run away?"

He couldn't help but feel worried about her comment of being scared of people being nice with her. He'd been deceived and manipulated and drugged and abused in more ways than he cared to think about, but he didn't like the idea she might have been through anything remotely similar. She shook her head at him and pushed the cheese and garlic in his hands, the pair teaming up and managing not to bump into each other too many times. Or letting it get too awkward. Prompto kept wondering if the pleasant camaraderie would shift in a reflection of the last night before the covenant. Some days, when he saw Cindy with oil on her hands and hair or dark bags under her eyes, he had to fight the urge to hold her. Not kiss her senseless or take rushed pleasure from her. He simply wanted to hold her.

Later that night, they were left to hang out together once more, Luna sleeping by Noctis's bedside one more time. Cindy didn't like leaving Prompto on his own unless he slept, ever since that time he'd hit his head from falling and had shown concussion symptoms. Luna had fixed the damage but sadly, the dizziness and regular shivers remained.

Cindy was sitting on the couch, scrolling down through news her phone while Prompto thumbed through his pictures of the week. The camera almost never left his hands when he was off duty. He was lying on the floor, the tip of his tongue poking from his mouth as he focused on the various shots, making his first sweep of what should be kept and what should be deleted. He insisted he loved the fluffy carpet, but Cindy had a suspicion he was feeling dizzier, and maybe colder too. He had three layers of shirts on and she still noticed a shiver here and there.

What really caught her attention was when he stopped on a picture for a good five minutes, not swiping back or forth, just studying it. It had happened before, but he would usually move the camera to one side or another.

"What's so special about this one?" Cindy asked candidly.

Prompto looked up with alarm in his eyes, a blush following and then a sheepish look.

"I… You look lonely in it. And sad."

 _I hate it because it looks like your resting face. Is that how you always feel when you think no one's looking?_

"I said before I'm not lonely. Let me see that one."

He gingerly gave her the camera, Cindy realizing he was absolutely right with his assertions. He'd taken a picture of her sitting on a bench outside of the hospital. Her eyes were lost in the distance and she remembered having argued with Luna earlier on that day. Her face was pale, her lips thin, dark lines circling her eyes and her hair was wild. She remembered how tired the princess looked. How she cried instead of finding sleep and how she refused to stay in bed for more than two hours, since she had to plan a counter-attack against the empire somehow. She'd pushed herself to the point she was shaking like a leaf and lived on caffeine alone.

"I had to slip sleeping drugs in her food and she was so mad at me."

Prompto had no words for her, seeing how much she still worried about her friend. He'd learned over the past few weeks that Cindy had only one good friend outside of Luna, and that was because the lady in question had been friends with her mother. Her grandfather had run all over the skies back in his time, with the grand dream of creating a floating city that would be out of reach from the Astrals and the blight. Crumbling debts and family attachment had tied that dream to the ground, Cindy growing up between airports and gangs of thugs.

She shook her head to push away the impression Lunafreya had been ignoring her lately and put the camera on the couch next to her, grimacing as her foot shifted and started to ache. She folded her leg to reach for her left foot and tried massaging it, a habit she'd taken since the scars were itching and aching regularly.

"Need help?" Prompto asked with fake candor in his eyes.

"Are you offering me a foot rub?" Cindy asked, the teasing barely held on the back of her tongue.

"What's that judgement on your face? My fingers are nimble and strong. I could give you a demonstration," he added, rolling his eyebrows suggestively at her.

Her right foot pushed him back down as she laughed through her objections.

"Can't you ever keep your mind out of the gutter?!"

"It's easier when I don't have such a gorgeous girl around all the time."

Cindy mentally chided herself for wanting to take the compliment. He was inappropriate and rude all the time and she still let his kinder words get to her. Why?!

"You'll have to do better than that."

Prompto rose to his knees, eyes bright and a boyish smile on his features.

 _There you go girl, encourage him._

"How about I give you a foot rub to start? No oil, no touch beyond the tender skin of your ankle?"

His hands inched forward, but he still kept his distance.

"You're ridiculous. And that sounded almost creepy."

"And you like it."

Cindy frowned, her throat tightening as a very old memory took hold of her.

"I _don't_!"

Prompto's smile vanished as he saw how she paled.

"Okay, I'm sorry, I… You're hurting, I want to make you feel better, and I only know how to be silly."

Cindy tried to temper her fear, knowing Prompto had no idea why she reacted that strong just now. It was just those words.

"You swear feet aren't one of your fetishes?"

"Yuck!"

"Very well then. But it's only to confirm you can give a decent foot rub."

"Great Aldercapt, Cindy, I'm not going to bite you."

He had something inappropriate to add, but she seemed skittish now and he didn't want to make it worse.

"Okay, but stop acting like a beggar and sit up here with me, otherwise I'll just feel bad."

"So, no more sleeping pills for the princess?" he asked after making himself a small space on the couch, his camera having been moved to the low table for security.

"Honestly, I just wish she would unroot herself from Noctis. I get that she loves him. But she's starting to look obsessed!"

"Young love makes people stupid. At least that's what my mother would say."

"That's… that's cute. Cheesy, but cute"

"Careful, my mom is sacred and so is every of her words. Also, regarding the Noct obsession, you did accompany Luna on all those meetings with Camelia right?"

Cindy heaved a sigh.

"Good point. That first secretary is insufferable. But Luna is going to run herself into a wall."

"Isn't that what she always do? I don't understand where she gets all this energy."

"I'll share a secret with you, Prom. She. Eats. chocolate."

"What?!" Prompto dropped her foot to cover his ears in pretended offense. "My dreams, my beliefs… All crushed. Princesses eat chocolate too?!"

Cindy tickled his neck with her good foot at that, which caused him to retaliate instantly by tickling her under her knees and it escalated to her sides while she tried to keep him away. He stopped short of holding her in his arms, sensing she was still on edge for that, although he wanted nothing but to have a taste of her warmth.

"Don't do that again," the mechanic asked, looking for her breath.

"You started it!"

She coughed and shook her head at him.

"I need water. Where did I…"

Prompto leaped at the occasion to be of service again, remembering she'd left her glass in that tiny kitchen. The movement brought a new wave of dizziness, stronger than usual too and Cindy caught him mid-fall with a gasp.

"Sorry."

"You poor, poor frail thing," she tried teasing him, hoping the beating of her heart would slow down.

She pushed on his shoulders to help him straighten himself, only to realize he was trembling.

"You're still cold?"

"Guess I should miss all that fat I had as a kid," he joked, before apologizing for leaning on her.

"We'll make you some hot cocoa, that oughta help," Cindy suggested.

She had helped him walk around the suite before, and so had Luna a few times too, even though Prompto hated the impression he needed such help. If he'd been drugged or had gone through tests, he would accept it, but this…

"I don't think sugar…"

They took two steps, Prompto trying to stand by himself and utterly failing at the third step. His left leg went numb and quivered under his weight, Cindy suddenly having to compensate for more than she could handle. It was a shuffle of limbs as they avoided a real fall, almost tripping on each other's feet and crossing the space of the living room in the weirdest waltz mankind had ever seen. Cindy's back hit the wall with her hands firmly tugging on Prompto's jacket. His face dug into her shoulder, his arms instinctively wrapping around her frame. His breath ghosting her skin through her shirt reminded her of that other time when they'd been as close. Why did it feel safe between his arms? Was it because he was so easily lost? So genuinely unsure of himself?

He lifted his head, their cheeks brushing, a strand of her hair sticking to his beard.

"You did that on purpose!" Cindy managed.

"I did not," he retorted, his voice a mere whisper against her forehead.

His eyes were staring into hers, his scent invading her nostrils. He was still shivering and she wanted him to stop doing so, to feel better so that maybe she could start feeling better about surviving this covenant. And helping in drawing a target on Altissia for the empire to attack apparently.

"Yes, you did," she insisted, not sure what she was thinking as she snaked one hand up his neck to guide his head down.

"I swear not…" Prompto said, licking his lips nervously.

"Then I'll give you a good reason to be dizzy."

He swallowed back the question he wanted to ask, because it would sound too insecure and she was intoxicatingly close. He almost missed her mouth, because he _wasn't_ pretending, but Cindy guided him, the first kiss feeling too pure for the words they usually exchanged. By the third one, it was the same heat they'd shared before the covenant and it bloomed and burst, the dizziness growing contagious as they recognized the touches they'd barely shared. He was the first one to moan, but she followed him closely with a nasal sigh and she had to keep him steady when they parted for air.

"You're going to kill me, Cin."

"That's not my intention. Would be a crime to kill such a good kisser."

"I'm beyond dizzy now."

"Like you'd get that excited for nothing but a few kisses!"

Prompto could have argued that the way she'd cupped his face with one hand and tugged on his collar possessively was quite enough for someone as deprived from any loving gesture as him, but he held his tongue again, his hands pulling on her wrists so he could held them on either side of her while kissing her as thoroughly as he dared. Cindy vied for control and as soon as he felt her tensing, he went back to holding her waist, wiggling his hips just enough to be obnoxious.

"I take it back. Your _sweettalk_ needs some serious work."

"Teach me," he suggested, kissing her nose. "When is chocolate involved?"

"Moron."

"I'm cold, cute minx."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Puppy eyes?"

The look he gave her was far too adorable, but Cindy refused to melt.

"We're going to the kitchen. And if I cross the threshold of your room, you had better keep your junk in your pants."

He frowned. "S' that how sweettalk works?! Because it sounds a lot like my normal talk."

"You're a bad influence on me," Cindy argued.

Prompto decided to try his luck and stole another kiss from her, relishing every second of the feeling she was relaxing against him despite the harsh words she used.

"I said…"

"Just one more," he cut her off.

She obliged him, actually holding him back when he tried to pull away. It felt good and she wanted to be held just a little more. She couldn't remember the last time she'd messed around with someone. Or if she'd ever seriously wanted to do so.

"That makes two mo…"

"Please."

"My foot hurts," Cindy admitted.

She coughed another time and with a reluctant sigh, he agreed to move to the kitchen, keeping one arm around her.

"Can I ask for snuggles?"

"Turn off the puppy look."

"Pretty please with a mountain of sugar on top? I have good bedside manners."

"Do you now?"

"I do now and all the time! Despite snoring. But everybody snores."

Cindy chuckled at his antics and agreed to snuggles. She had no idea she would grow addicted to it after a single night. But they were both still faced with heavy fears and the comfort they could give each other was better than shivering in a bed on their own.

…

Lunafreya stared at the drafts of her plans. From the 16 hours she'd spent out of the hotel suite today, only 4 had been with Noctis, another 4 to heal the wounded from the latest raid and 8 hours to make recon about the attack's site and find an angle from which she could reach the empire. She wasn't sure when she'd last eaten and she knew she looked nothing like a princess. But Altissia was starting to resemble Tenebrae on the day her mother had died… She remembered what the soldiers had tried with her, how Cor had had to save her, how it had taken weeks and Cindy's friendship for her to find some sort of composure after the massacre.

She clapped on her cheeks to slap some sense into herself.

"You're a winner now. You can summon both Shiva and…"

The thought of calling upon the Tide mother made her stomach churn in protest. Her Noctis was leaving the hospital the following day for a rehab center. She couldn't forget the sight of his body with those giant scales coming out of his back. His shaking right hand spasming in thin air and the pain on his face when he tried reaching out to her. Soon he would have to face the accusations and public eye at all time and she wanted to keep him somewhere safe and peaceful until he was solid on his feet again. But Altissia's cultured and peaceful districts were slowly being turned into war zones. The further from the center of town you were and the less people you'd meet on the street. A few canals had been destroyed, stones turned over by bombings, towers brought down and bridges torn off.

A state of emergency had been called on the city of water and Luna knew it was her fault. She was here. The empire wanted to get rid of her, like the nasty thorn in their side that she was. Why else would they break the accords they had with Accordo?

 _If I can't practice summoning, how will I control it?_

Casting ice was one thing, but Leviathan was on a different level and the Oracle doubted she could keep her from destroying everything in sight if she did take a chance and summoned her. She wanted to protect this city, not destroy it further.

"I need to draw them to the coast," she whispered to herself. "I'll shield myself with my light to make them confident. And when their fleet is all over me…"

 _You're not living in a comic book._

But she could picture an ocean of ice, the stalagmites growing into the ships, scales hitting the airships. The emperor was making Eos's people suffer with his greed. Her ancestors had tried to talk. King Regis had attempted reconciliation. Every time, more people had died and she knew the Astrals didn't want the complete extinction of the human race. Otherwise, the blight would eventually corrupt the gods themselves, like it had done with Ifrit.

"Should I use a boat this time too?"

The memories of the covenant were still fresh and Luna didn't want to risk anyone this time. Prompto couldn't be brought on a battlefield, he still needed to recover, Cindy wouldn't let anyone else drive her up to this suicide mission and Luna didn't want to repay her kindness by endangering her life. She had been a bad friend lately, letting her duties as Oracle and warrior princess take over everything else.

 _ **Why would you need a boat when you have me?**_

She looked up out of sheer reflex, even though the voice was coming from deep inside. Shiva had never spoken to her like this after the covenant.

"Are you ready to help?"

From the corner of her eyes, Luna stared at the tainted water a few feet from her. She had been working on a ledge by a canal, in a dead end that was both quiet and far enough from the usual raiding sites to feel safe.

 _ **Are you ready to fight? And take the risk to go without that pretty boy to catch you?**_

"I'm ready. I was always ready."

Luna felt a strong wind pushing her head into her face and she hastily gathered her tangled locks to the side of her head, tying it in a low tail with the rubber band she'd used to roll up her plans. She knew the city by heart now.

 _ **Give me all the light you can give. And we shall show them about our own prophecy.**_

Lunafreya had a minute of doubt, but as soon as she let her defenses down and felt Leviathan's wild magic in her, she knew exactly how far she could go. Cold seeped into her heart, her eyes blinking away tears. It was too far, it might change her, but she didn't see another way. The pain and rage of a million years coursed through her veins, pulling her forward. She took off her shoes before to step in the water. And there was no sinking, just the fresh touch of a cool surface yielding slightly under her touch, but keeping her up. Step after step she walked, leaving only a trail of ripples behind her.

The wind started howling, but the waves under her feet moved as though they were stairs and while more and more people looked in awe through their windows or from a corner of the street, Luna called forth her trident and let the light cover her skin and her hair.

"What are you doing?"

"Shut up, don't you see she's magic?"

"This is crazy."

The wind howled stronger and the people's voices couldn't reach her anymore. The only sound was the water clapping and engines purring over her head. When she exhaled, her breath came out in puff of frost. There was a pounding in her head by the time she was standing in the port and all the airships and boats had converged on her position, words running about what she was doing.

Luna took a look around herself. It made her head turn since she wasn't looking only through her own eyes, but as though every animals in the sea lent her their own eyes. She could see how far the ships went, she could tell how many there were, she could…

 _ **More light, Oracle, you're burning through it fast.**_

 _She's going to kill me,_ Luna realized.

The empire fired then, the various soldiers unable to believe that this woman, the one woman who'd simply led an army before was walking on water to face them all with nothing more than a trident.

The shots drew arcs in the sky, bullets tearing through the air and a wave surged forward, turning to ice and causing a rain of ice shards. Luna was protected by the light of her shield, bullets bouncing off of it, her body shifting as the shocks slowly bruised her skin.

Her eyes shone with a golden hue, her trident drawing a wave as the sea unfurled beneath her feet. The wind was harsh and cold by now and in a flash of ethereal light, the wave rushing into the ships became pure ice. The crash rang all over the port, while stones cracked and hulls broke inward. Lunafreya received another wave of bullets, raising her trident to shield herself somehow. They still bounced off her light and the ancestral rage made her roar in pain, magic pulsing under her skin, eating away at her energy.

Another wave surged as she squared her shoulders to resist the elements raging around her. Her lips were blue and the frost she exhaled was also on her nails, almost reaching her trident. Her hair had frozen over and she shifted her hold on the trident, drawing multiple arcs in front of her with it. Water rose following every of her movements, tracing thin lines in the air as ice slowly frosted over it. At first it was a cross, reaching over to form an ellipse and while it grew larger, drawing on more water, more lines crossed over it, and over and over. Luna imagined it growing and it did, before rolling on itself to gain momentum. It was a shimmering sphere of water now, of about 20 feet of diameter, deadly ice shining all over it and with her next exhale which covered her face with frost, Luna set it free.

It rushed forward, the water underneath sizzling to ice instantly, the magic brimming and furiously progressing towards the imperial army. There was a ripple through the frozen surface, while energy ripped over the improbable sphere of water. It blew into a thousand waves, rushing harder than a stampede of raging Anaks, thundering, destroying anything in its wake.

The ships still intact froze over. Those that were starting to sink were pushed aside as though they were made of paper. After the freezing came a second and a third wave, taking away more metal inch by inch. Luna stood unflinching, guiding the following waves upward. She was taking their ships down too. When the first soldiers fell or rushed out of their falling ships, they seemed about to drown. Only then did Leviathan fully materialize, her body one with the gigantic succession of waves, her spine hitting the largest ships in the sky. Everything was falling. Everyone was falling. Drowning. And Luna knew she'd fall too.

When the water touched her calves, it was the sign her light had run out. And from the corner of her eyes, she spotted a single ship, with red markings on it, flying away after steering clear of the carnage. She heard people screaming before falling further into the water. She was submerged, her trident vanishing into nothingness. Luna wasn't aware what was up or down. Her eyes were closed shut by the frost eating up her face. All she could tell was that she was falling deeper. The pressure on her body kept growing and growing, until it was a dark void of wet and freezing scales closing all over her. Her lungs burned and her muscles ached. Still squirming and bellowing, Leviathan was shot by a missiles and caused a new wave as she collapsed unto herself.

Luna's consciousness faded with the goddess, the snow on the water drawing sylleblossoms on the boats' corpses.

…

She faded and faded. Her heart slowed.

…

Her heart stopped.

…

To be continued…

I… This is Altissia, so I have to do something like this, don't I? Don't throw stuff at me, Noctis will be in next chapter with a full reaction to this and we'll get to know what's happening with Luna and the whole city. Things just escalated to this and I can't let Luna be this badass without serious repercussions.

Reviews? Cowers in fear.


	14. Raindrops in the wind

The new chapter is here so that we can be off that cliffhanger. This chapter is mostly Noct/Luna hurt comfort and fluff (is that a spoiler? I guess it is…) and we have Silver/gold too. I'll let you enjoy!

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Stranded

Chapter 13 – Raindrops in the wind

Noctis barreled out of the elevator to reach the emergencies floor, half dressed in actual clothes, eyes wild, his heart beating madly. He'd heard the news, immediately located a tv to confirm what was going on, helped a few kids get away from the windows broken in by debris and the furious downpour falling from the sky but his nerves could only last so long. His right arm was a tingling mess, a drag attached to his body and he felt helpless at the idea he couldn't even swim down to Luna himself. He knew he was too far to help, but she was his to protect. The Oracle had been rescued by the Altissian navy, but the city was in an uproar from what had just happened. The storm still raged, people were speculating, Noctis knew from a few texts from Prompto that Camelia was quite angry with his princess.

 _Am I the only one who saw what it did to her?_

Luna had burned through everything she had to pull that incredible strike back on the empire. He knew she was angry at herself for letting him get hurt, but this was exactly why he…

Prompto spotted him from the entrance, a ghostly Cindy by his side. Noctis wanted to demand to see Luna, he had half a mind to summon his weapons and fly out there if it would mean getting her somewhere safe and warm faster, but…

 _You can't save her. Even if she was in front of you right now…_

She was in a completely different league. She could topple a freaking army all by herself. The empire was going to want her dead twice as much now. And he couldn't protect her properly, not with that damn arm barely shivering when he tried to move it.

Prompto wasn't sure who needed him more between Cindy or Noctis, but Noctis barreled through the hallway and past the waiting room, his eyes scanning the place madly for a sign the Oracle had arrived. This hospital was closer to the harbor and Luna had already been a patient here. Prompto decided that stopping the guy from causing a panic with the haggard expression on his face was the best course of action and hurried up to his friend.

"Dude, you're going to freak people out."

"Am I? She just…"

"We know, man, settle down. When did you get out of bed?"

"I did a few times this week," Noctis answered matter-of-factly. He tried to push Prompto away when a new gurney was rolled inside, standing on his tiptoes and the gunman pulled him away, using all of his weight to compensate Noctis's nervous energy.

"She's not on that gurney."

"How do you know?" the exiled prince asked.

Cindy shrugged, gesturing to the doors and Noctis was halfway out by the time he heard it too. The streets were ablaze with a clamor. Or was it a chant? Hundreds of voices joined. People were at every window. On either side of a canal, two small crowds were walking, their eyes fixated on a rescue boat that was making his way toward the hospital. It was like a parade for a religious symbol and Noctis knew instantly where Luna was. Prompto put one arm around his shoulders, muttering words he didn't perceive.

 _Don't be that kind of Oracle. We made each other a promise, you can't become a martyr now._

He hated himself for thinking that "now". As though any time before him would have been fine. When the boat stopped by the deck, paramedics rushing, he couldn't hear their words over the buzzing crowd. Lunafreya Nox Fleuret was carried off the boat with haste but the utmost care. He spotted the blue of her lips, the nerves showing through her skin, more translucent than ever and his heart missed a beat.

The only impulse was to rush forward, because he was warm and she couldn't be…!

"Whoa, stay where you are, Noct."

His friend had to wrap one arm around his chest to hold him and both men glared at each other, even though despair was painted all over their face.

"But…!"

"We _can't_ help," Prompto told him.

It was clear from his tone he hated the situation just as much as Noctis did. He tested Prompto's hold once more, giving up as he saw the look on Cindy's face, her hands clutched in front of her, her shoulders so tensed he imagined her muscles cracking underneath.

"Cindy…"

"Should you be up?" the mechanic asked him, her voice white.

"I should have been with her."

"No, that was my job," Cindy retorted, her head moving from the doors through which Luna had been taken and the men standing next to her. "I'm… I'm so sorry!"

The tears in her eyes shocked Noctis, while Prompto tried to catch her attention, wishing he could comfort her somehow.

"No one can prevent her from doing what she wants when she's got her mind on something," the prince tried appeasing the shaken blonde.

"I tried all the other days, and on the one day I say nothing…"

Both men took a step towards her and it was enough to send Cindy running away. People had started gathering by the entrance and it only took a few seconds for her to disappear into the growing crowd.

"Shit!"

"Don't stand here doing nothing, Prom, go after her," Noctis shot back.

They exchanged a brief look, both wondering which one needed help more, the prince or the pilot.

"You won't do anything crazy?"

"I swear," Noctis started, hoping he sounded confident. "I can text you about how she's…"

His voice faltered and Prompto shook his head.

"She's too stubborn to leave this world."

…

Stubborn she was, but Lunafreya was also in dire condition. She'd needed CPR, her light fading in and out while her mind was filled with the rushing of imaginary waves hitting against her skull. Her heartbeat was still too slow for comfort.

Noctis barged through the ambulance entrance just in time to see her for another second, pale and soaked through. His eyes noticed frost in her hair and as he tried to move forward, a voice warned him.

"You can't be here, sir, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to take the pedestrian entrance."

"I'm…"

"I know who you are. We'll do everything we can to help her. You'll have to stay in the waiting room until her status changes."

Noctis could only resign himself, his right arm smarting from bumping into the door in his rush. The following hours were torture, plain and simple and he was glad no one stopped by his side and asked him if he really was the exiled prince of Lucis. In truth, his eyes were so dark, no one dared to approach him.

It was a few hours later that a nurse came up to him.

"She's stable."

"Can I see her?!"

Noctis felt ready to jump at the woman in front of him and followed eagerly when he was given the affirmative to his question. The doctor still in the room asked him a few questions, taking him outside. Upon her first admittance to the hospital, Luna had made her bodyguard the one person who could receive information about her medical state or even take decisions in her stead if she was unable to do so. She had been adamant on it despite his own state at the time and Noctis was half thankful for it, half worried he would be left with her fate on his hands. He couldn't deal with the idea of losing her, even less with the idea of deciding anything about which treatment she'd want or not.

"I really need to see her," Noctis cut him off, barely able to process the words the man was telling him.

"I need to confirm something with you first, Mr. Caelum, please bear with me. Like I said, Lady Lunafreya should recover from this ordeal. She's young and in good health, but she just went through a hypothermic shock after straining herself far beyond what the human body can handle. The highest risk right now is pneumonia and that's not only because of her near drowning."

The young bodyguard frowned, rubbing his right arm in the hopes it would make the tingling sensation in it diminish.

"You are lady Lunafreya's one and only current sexual partner, aren't you?"

Noctis blinked, nodding slowly despite his instinctive urge to keep the information to himself. They had still to determine whether making their relationship public was the right move for the Oracle, considering he was considered as a criminal. Luna had encouraged him to forget the news were all over his true identity until he would have started his rehab, but…

"She's pregnant," the man stated, marking a brief pause.

The prince grabbed him by the shoulder, his right hand jerking up awkwardly as the news jolted his brain with a dozen questions. None of them where how.

"She's…?"

"She was surprised too, but rest assured the baby is fine. There could be some…"

Noctis's shock tuned out the words that followed. His Luna was with child. Which surely wasn't that much of a surprise since they had been all over each other at every chance they had, but he'd always used protection. More than ever, he wanted to see her. Was she conscious? Had she been told?

He stepped into the room, hoping they could stop spending all their time together in a hospital. Luna was lying on the only bed in the room, covered with warm blanket, her eyelids heavy despite her effort to keep her eyes open, tears streaming down her face. Tears of pain? Her breathing didn't make a sound, but it hurt her all the same, her body covered with bruises from the bullets ricocheting on her shields and the shield pushing back into her flesh with the violence of the impacts. She could hardly moved and her throat was horse from coughing up salty water. Her ribs were bruised, even a few broken because of the CPR she'd needed and her thoughts were just as shattered. The magic of the Astrals had sapped her light and she was still trying to accept the news she'd heard.

"N… Noct?" she croaked.

"You had to do that, didn't you? Oh Luna, my sweet Luna, I thought I was losing you."

He cupped her face in his left hand, his thumb brushing away a few strands of hair, drying off tears that were instantly replaced. She whined in protest when he motioned to sit on the chair at the head of her bed and Noctis was very careful not to disrupt anything as he sat on the very edge of her mattress, her body shifting to lean against his instantly.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know!"

"Know what? That going all warrior goddess on the empire's ass could potentially kill you?"

"The baby. I had no idea, I've lost blood, I had been so stressed out lately, so I didn't see a way I could be… It never crossed my mind, but I… I risked our baby."

Noctis paled, but more because of the fact it was still sinking in. They had conceived a child. In the middle of the fighting, the war and conspiracies, they'd forgotten to be careful one time too many and now her dreams for the future were dawning on them, years in advance.

"If I'd known, I would have never…"

"Luna, please, you shouldn't pull stuff like this even when there's only you on the line! You gave me a job and I intend to do it, but our deal was that you never run off into battle without me."

Her lips moved, but her voice was a shuddering sound now and her tears flowed down at an increased rate. He saw her left hand reaching for her belly, as though she wanted to protect the tiny speck of life growing inside her. The doctor had said the baby was fine, but there had been a "but" and Noctis hated himself for missing that part of the man's explanation. He was panicking but wanted to stand strong for her, seeing as she was falling apart.

"Luna, you just single-handedly…"

"I heard them screaming. I'm not supposed to destroy like this. I should be…"

She coughed and winced as the movement wracked pain over her entire body and seeing her ache like this was more than he could endure. He tried checking whether she was attached to anything and leaned further down so he could wrap his good arm under her back.

"Is it okay if I hold you?"

"What's not okay is if you don't…" she tried to sound playful, but her voice was cracking up on every few words.

Noctis had to struggle at first, pulling her up to a sitting position as delicately as he could so he could have her sit in his lap and she hid her face against his chest. Luna merely grabbed to his jacket, hoping it would help him, her whole body shaking and shivering. She tried apologizing again, but he kissed her forehead, whispering against her skin that she had nothing to hold against herself.

"But our baby…"

"Isn't it fine? You need to calm down. _You_ are hurting right now. And I can't make it go away even though I'd take the pain for you…"

She sobbed into his shirt, knowing full well what he was ready to do if it meant protecting her.

"I'm so sorry."

"Stop. You're here with me now."

"It was so… so cold."

Her body moved slowly, her limbs heavy and every beat of her heart was painful. Her thoughts were running in every direction and she could barely follow anything but this litany…

 _I'm alive, I'm alive, I didn't drown, I'm alive._

"Luna…"

"I can't… I'm sorry, I…"

She tried to make herself smaller, her shoulders hiccupping as Noctis gently rocked her in his arms, hiding her in the warmth of his nervous embrace. His hand drew gentle circles on her back, his eyes closing tight as he tried to forget the sight of her casting wave after wave of ice in the port. His back ached from sitting in an uncomfortable waiting chair for too long, his right arm was numb and he wasn't sure what to think when his brain had him realize he wasn't only holding his princess right now.

Any child of his would have to carry the accusations after them. Any child of his could be tugged back to Insomnia by the crystal. Would Ravus feel threatened by a nephew or a niece? Could he let Luna go back to Lucis now? Should he really be wondering this far ahead when he should be thanking the gods she was still breathing?!

"It's okay, Luna, I'm not letting you out of my sight again."

"I'll…" She sobbed once more and coughed as she tried to get words out despite the tears. "I can't have that baby now!"

She was freaking out, which was understandable. Noctis wanted to freak out and kissed her hair instead, squeezing her waist without thinking. She yelped in pain from the pressure on her ribs, but curled up on herself with her hands gripping desperately to his shirt as the words, "don't let go, please, Noct, please" dug into his heart like talons.

She sounded so desperate and he wished he could hold her with both arms.

"I don't think he's popping out before a few more months," he tried reassuring her.

But that made it all the more real for them both.

"Oh gods…"

"Luna," he pleaded with her.

"I almost drowned our baby!"

A broken whine escaped his throat as he pushed away the sick picture of her drowning. He'd seen her descend under the surface. Someone somewhere had filmed the whole display of power, the fall of the ships, Lunafreya faltering as the magic exited her eyes.

"You saved an entire city. There will be no more wounded here. I don't think they can even keep up with that war…"

Luna simply cried in answer and he let her, holding her as gently as he could as he waited until she'd let out the worst of it. After twenty minutes, her ribs hurt her so bad, she couldn't help the tears of pure pain that still rolled down her cheeks. She scooted away from him, needing his arm in her back to sit steady, looking for her breath.

"It's starting to burn…" she admitted, sniffling pitifully

"Luna, you need to calm down."

"How?"

"Do it for me?" he suggested.

A very weak chuckle escaped her and she sighed, her chest still heaving.

"Don't be cute."

"Only if you stop trying to save the world."

Their eyes met, red and bloodshot in Luna's case, on the verge of tears on Noctis's side.

She wanted to touch his face, to lean into him and hug him back, just so she'd know they were both really there, but the little strength left in her was fading.

"I'm not doing anything like this again," she promised. "Can you help me… lie back down?"

She didn't have to ask, Noctis laid her down carefully, bringing the covers up to her chin while she reached out to hold his right hand. His fingers were tingling madly and he could barely fold them around her palm, but she'd learned to understand the light shaking in his hand was his way to welcome the touch.

"I should tell Cindy and Prompto you're doing well."

"You'll stay with me?"

"I just said I wasn't letting you out of my sight!" he laughed.

She managed a grimace at that, "Oh, what a sight I must be."

"You're alive and beautiful, Luna."

She refused to let go of his bad hand, so Noctis quickly texted their friends, sighing at the multiple typos that got in as he struggled with his left hand. When he was done, he decided to ignore any chime coming from his phone to focus back on her.

"Feeling a little better?"

"I… I don't know. This princess might not feel better before some time…" she said in self-derision.

"Maybe all she needs is a kiss from a prince?"

Normally, Luna would tease him for such a cheesy reply, but all she could do was blush, her smile so fragile he had to swallow down the knot growing in his throat.

"I'm not sure how long I can remain awake. Or if one of your kisses could stir me back to my senses."

"You need to rest," he reassured her, pecking her on the cheek.

Her smile grew and she was happy to hold hands with him as her body finished calming down. Her brain couldn't stop though and as her grin turned upside down, Noctis steeling himself.

"I need to ask you something first. That baby we didn't plan for… Do you want it?"

"I… Luna, I don't care right now, it's…" Her lips quivered and he realized his mistake, shaking his head instantly, "I mean, I'm glad you're both fine, it's just so much to process!"

"For me too. I hope you know I never tried to trick you into anything…"

The words "honest mistake" that came to her mind revolted her soul, because she didn't want any child of hers to be considered like a mistake.

"Luna, I'd never think that."

"They said I was about… two months along…"

Noctis was shocked that he could actually do the math and offered her a light smile.

"So… That night right before we left Tenebrae, huh?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's the one," she sighed, blushing up to her ears as she saw his smile had turned into a cocky grin. "Oh no, Noct, none of that male pride! We need to talk about this seriously."

"We will, Luna. For now, you need to focus on getting better, which means getting some serious rest."

He lightly poked her nose, like she did to him when he was being a difficult patient in the last two weeks. Lunafreya nodded weakly, not even protesting as her eyelids grew heavier, simply holding his hand with what little strength she had left.

"If I sleep for too long, my prince will come and wake me?" she asked candidly.

"You bet he will. I hope the absence of a white chocobo won't put you off."

"As long as the man kissing me is you, you could be riding a gruffy garula."

He slowly got off her bed and to his feet, freeing his right hand only to bend over her.

"Try not to dream of gruffy garulas, my pretty daredevil."

Her soft giggle was a balm on his heart and he kissed her lips lightly.

"I'm not sleeping yet," Luna observed with a smirk.

"I'd rather be cautious and make sure you don't confound me with anyone else," he teased.

"I shall try."

A second kiss and she was asleep, having fought against her exhaustion with all her might for this brief moment with him.

Noctis waited with her for half an hour to make sure she didn't wake up or stir in her sleep, but the nervous energy in his limbs was too much to handle sitting down and he tried his luck taking a few steps outside. The crowds that had walked with the Oracle on her way to the hospital had dispersed, only a few curious bystanders remaining here and there. He felt the stares of people on him as he hurried to a main street, putting his lightly shaking hand in his pocket in the hopes the stares would leave. But they didn't. Muttering in his back and a mother pulling her child behind her to cross to the other side of the street.

 _Murderer. Criminal. Fallen prince._

That was his legacy right now and with the news of the pregnancy, the one thing on his mind wasn't whether to roll with it or to take one of the few other options. No, all he could think was how his child would be seen and treated. The danger they might be under just because of their link with him. His association with the Oracle wasn't seen as something positive and until his name was cleared, the only reason people didn't openly confront Lunafreya about her decision was because of her own status. She was the goddamn Oracle. And he was a failed king.

 _She needs you. Somehow, she still needs you,_ he reminded himself.

Luna had never cared what other people thought. He just had to find the courage to do the same. He loved her enough to try.

…

Catching up with Cindy proved to be difficult. She'd pulled her cap tight over her hair before vanishing and the crowd surrounding the hospital was quite dense. Despite the chill in the air and the light rain falling, Prompto was too warm from bumping into people and being hit and poked by either elbows or the corner of a suitcase. He knew Cindy wasn't from here and had no favorite spot in the city, loving the place as a whole, so he had no idea where she'd run of to when in need of a refuge. He was worried she'd do something crazy, since the princess had already demonstrated there was no limit to crazy.

 _She wouldn't go to her ship_ , Prompto determined. _It's too far and she needs to have news about Luna, even if she blames herself._

Which also meant she wouldn't stray too far from a place with reception. Altissia was tricky for techno-addicts, the signal scrambled by water and all the old architecture. He was half tempted to text her, but the only thing that will get her attention was mentioning Luna's condition and he since he had no news, it was too cruel a joke even if done with good intentions.

As soon as they'd seen the news, Prompto had known Cindy would need help.

 _She'd grabbed his hand instinctively as they stood in the suite's living room, staring with disbelief at the tv screen. After the first ten minutes of display, the pilot had rushed to their window, trying to find the port only to swear out loud and rush outside. She hadn't taken the time to put on shoes and while Prompto was as worried as her, he grabbed her boots before catching up with her, lifting her in his arms to prevent her from taking the stairs._

" _We need to find her!" Cindy had protested with a huff as he shoved her on his shoulder like a bag of flour._

" _You won't run long in these streets with nothing on your feet but socks," he'd opposed, making his way to the elevator._

 _He'd learned from tripping and catching himself with his hands that the stones were quite unforgiving all over Altissia and he doubted Cindy's feet needed to bleed any more than they had already._

 _Cindy had struggled with him and he'd nearly dropped her, but they'd rode the elevator before rushing out of the Leville, walking out just in time to see the new wave of ice Luna had sent._

Intent on finding her, Prompto made for the sidewalk right next to the water, searching the banks and the few gondolas for a yellow jacket and blond hair. His heart was beating madly and his hands were sweaty, a raindrop falling his eye and making him blink furiously.

He'd slept with Cindy for the fifth consecutive night, snuggled close, holding onto each other in such an innocent way. He wasn't sure he could deal without having her warmth and her smile.

 _She's sad, not suicidal._

But what if she missed a step and fell into a canal? Would people notice? She knew how to swim, didn't she? Luna might be dead and then, would there even be a reason for the cute pilot to stick with them? And what would happen to Noctis?! The poor guy would be crushed and without his friend, Prompto might as well go back to being a sad clone playing along his father's tune.

A strong wind howled, making papers fly and flapping his coat into his face. His teeth chattered together and he had to blink away more tears before he could actually look where he was putting his feet. The small chains serving as a safeguard from the water were digging into his legs.

"Fuck! Where the hell did she…?!"

He spotted the Altar where Luna had prayed for 12 hours a few days ago, Cindy and Prompto taking turns in bringing her water and dry sheets. It was closer to the angry flows of water, a spot usually closed to the public since it was where the original covenant was supposed to take place. Cindy stood between the large pillars, staring off into the harbor, her cap lost thanks to the wind. He ran up to her, trying to catch his breath to speak, but Cindy whipped around, her hair wild, face red.

"She was in there!"

"And they got her out! You saw it like I did."

Except what they saw was a white and blue Luna, unmoving. The people rescuing her had been yelling directions at each other from too far away for anyone to know what was going on. Was she breathing? Was she frozen solid? Would she break like a statue if moved too harshly? Had they wished her a good morning for the last time today?

"I should have gone with her today. I knew she was strange."

"She's been strange all week!" Prompto said.

When he took a step closer to her, Cindy moved back, holding herself tight as though it could hold back all of her pain.

"You should be with Noctis."

"We both thought I should be with you," Prompto countered, his arms parting open.

The rain was falling harder on both of their heads now and Cindy shuffled backwards, her knuckles white from gripping to her jacket too tightly

"I'll be fine if you give me time," Cindy managed through her shaky breaths.

"Can you take time inside? Crying in the rain is good for books and cheesy shows, in real life, it will make you sick."

When Prompto took three steps and managed to put his arms around her, she shrieked like a wounded animal, shaking her head, her hands pushing against his chest out of rhythm with her sobs. He jumped back, holding his hands up in a gesture he hoped was appeasing.

"Whoa, I'm sorry, I didn't mean… Be careful!"

Cindy managed a broken gasp as her back hit one of the columns, her feet instinctively stepping away from him.

"Leave me alone!" she begged, holding herself with one arm and covering her mouth with her free hand.

"I can't."

If she hadn't been beyond herself with grief and fear, she might have heard the pain in his voice and seen the conflict in his pale eyes, but she could barely understand what was happening in her own mind right now. She didn't want to break in front of anyone, she'd run to be left alone, she wasn't calling for help, she hated help because it always came with a moral debt to your helper.

"Well, apparently one thing you can't do is care about Luna. I'm alive so I'm still interesting, but she might be dead!"

"What?!"

"Did you even care about her? Or is she just a nice-looking paycheck?"

"Do you even hear yourself? I wouldn't tease a nice-looking paycheck or accept to give up half my life force for her cause willingly! She gave me a chance when everyone else would have shot me down on sight. You think I can get anywhere I want with this thing on my arm?" he insisted, baring his bar-code tattooed wrist to make his point. "Luna gave me freedom and respect for the first time in my miserable life. I don't want her to die or suffer. She's awesome…"

Cindy's brief anger faltered slightly, but Prompto was too shaken to move towards her anymore. He was also terrified by the fact she could move back even more. Water splashed all over her feet as a new wave rushed onto the altar. The following was even stronger, reaching him and the gunman wiggled his toes, his boots filled wither water. He had to fight against a violent shiver.

"She's like… my only friend," Cindy managed through her shaking breaths.

"Heh, how long do you need to know someone to be their friend? Over a year?"

The pilot shook her head, her strands sticking to her forehead. She was shivering and Prompto knew his teeth were going to chatter together again soon. At this rate, they would both catch a cold and all he could think about was that holding her would make her warm again.

"It's not… I can't think straight."

"Won't you get out of this storm?" he offered, biting into his lower lip as he shifted his legs to try and get some warmth back into his limbs.

Cindy shivered, still crying, but his quiet voice made her relax. Maybe she could be safe around him, even when she was in such a state?

"I don't want to go to the suite. I'll see her things lying around…"

"Maybe we can find some shop, buy clothes and be miserable in their AC…"

His attempt at humor wasn't enough to make her smile, but she took one step forward, running her forearms over her face in the hope it would dry her tears. Her sleeve was so soaked, she wondered how awful she had to look. Prompto was a pitiful mess, his freckles standing out on his pale face, his hair saturated and clinging to his skull. He remained still, letting her approach him at her own pace. Their chests were moving up and down too quickly and when she reached one trembling hand out, he had to bite back a yelp. Her uneasiness was making him nervous.

"Don't bite me?" Cindy asked, reminding him of the way he would try calming her down whenever she tensed next to him.

"You know I'd never."

He took a shy, tentative step and their hands met in an awkward dance of "how can I hold you and not make you run away?" until they settled, palm over palm, Prompto gently rubbing her thumb while she slipped her fingers between his. It was wet and cold, but it warmed them both nevertheless.

"I just want to go somewhere dry."

 _Somewhere where my tears won't mix with the sea water and I'll have no more excuses…_

"Cin…"

"I'll be okay. Sorry for reacting like that."

He let her take the first step, doubting that dragging her after him was a good idea. She was like a wounded bird, still jumpy and ready to take flight at the slightest sign of danger.

"I just hope you don't scare me like that too often."

Her hand squeezed his and he couldn't believe the words she said then.

"If you're this scared, then I guess it means I have two friends after all."

He wanted to mention how Noctis should be her friend too, but his voice was stuck in his throat and all he could do was nod into the harsh wind. He squeezed her hand back, wondering how this small touch combined with just a few words could mess him up so much.

Being messed up in a good way was new to him and the few next steps had the rain mix into his eyes. Or could it be tears from his own stress. They helped each other up the stairs, the hand holding drawing them closer as the downpour came down even stronger. Among the streets of Altissia, lost souls wondered, confused and shaken. But theirs were together and somehow it helped them face the pain. And the wait.

To be continued…

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Luna is safe! And pregnant! After all that smut, of course I'd have them face the consequences lol. There will be more smut eventually, but you can expect a lot of Ravus bashing in next chapter and also more fluff for Noct/Luna. I hope you liked this chapter. The next one might take more time to come, since I have a really busy month ahead of me and a lot of projects to work on outside of my thesis.


	15. The cat is out of the bag

This chapter was mostly written out a while ago, and I managed to bring it to a close. It revolves around Ignis and Ravus, because Ignis is going to take over this fic slowly but surely. Flashbacks are between italic sentences and I hope you'll handle the Ravus bashing that's coming, because no matter how much I like Ravus, the one from this story made some grave decisions that had big consequences. He needs to face the music. He'll be facing it for the rest of the fic to be sincere. I hope you'll enjoy!

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Stranded

Chapter 14 – The cat is out of the bag

 _Ignis didn't remember the walk to the airship._ There was wind in his hair, and a lot of screaming, but his mother had held him tight, carrying him in her arms as though he was back to being a toddler. She sat down in a barely cushioned seat, keeping him in her lap, both mother and son finding comfort in the way they could hold on each other. They had nothing but the clothes on their backs, and it wasn't long until that too was taken away.

Two hours into the flight, Ulldor noticed that Fulmina was shivering. Her shawl had fallen in the chaos and her dress hadn't been made with altitude and cold drafts in mind.

"I can't have you catch a cold now. You can wash up and get changed," Caligo offered.

Her cold glare was rewarded with a slap, to which Ignis finally snapped out of his own shivery daze.

"Don't you dare hurt her!"

Caligo gave him a slap of his own, armored gauntlet and all.

"I'll take no heroics here, boy. You two are Iedolas Aldercapt's guests, but show me resistance and your stay will be worse than hell."

"What does the empire even want with…?" Fulmina started, having knelt by her son's side, helping him up and putting her body between him and the soldier.

"You are a genius scientist, lady Scientia. And that boy of yours, although he hasn't shown it yet, is supposedly brilliant. Why would we want either of you in Gralea, you suppose?"

Ignis had first thought they were being taken hostage, to further the negotiations, but it sounded like he was mistaken. His cheek burned, and he couldn't help his whine of protest when his mother was forced away from him.

The empire wanted her knowledge, as a member of the council, a member of the royal court. And they were ready to break her in order for her to talk.

"I won't tell you anything about…" Fulmina warned through clenched teeth as he dragged her along.

Ignis tried getting to his feet, but a younger soldier caught him and tied him to his seat as Caligo laughed at his mother.

"No need to be so hasty in your conclusions, my lady. We're not looking for information on Lucis. At least, your servant here wasn't told as such. I am to have you cleaned and dressed in imperial colors before our arrival. So you can take this shower by yourself or insist on having my help."

"You cur!"

Fabric tearing was the last sound Ignis heard before the imperial man closed a door, the snapping sound making him jump with a yelp. He didn't know everything that could be done to prisoners of war, but he knew it was all bad. He was left to shiver miserably while wondering the state his mother might be in when she would come back, squirming in his restraints to no avail.

His mother didn't come back when Uldor did, the man having him untied by a soldier and throwing him over his shoulder without a second thought. Ignis protested weakly, but his limbs were numb and the adrenaline rush he'd felt earlier had exhausted him. He was pushed in a small room, ordered to get changed and found himself in pure white clothes that looked like a uniform. Doing as he was told, his gestures mechanical from the cold in his fingers, Ignis was reunited with his mother only when they landed. She was pale, her hair still wet, tied up in a ponytail, wearing white on white with silver adorning her shoulders and waist. She put an arm around his shoulders as they were ushered out of the airship, her hand too cold on the side of his face.

He tried not to gather any detail, but there was a limp to her gait, something stiff about the way she held him to her, and Ignis -with his picture-perfect memory- had eventually drawn conclusions. That night, he was too scared to think about anything other than his mother taking a beating and it was already dark enough for his mind. His cheek pressed against her thigh as they walked, his eyes taking in Gralea and its wide streets, covered with more streets, like a web of concrete expanding in a maze-like nightmare. Constant noise, cars honking, tires screeching, people talking, murmuring, a hum of machines in the background... It sounded almost familiar, but the language on the street signs was different, the letters drawn in strange ways he had yet to study. He couldn't see much from the landing ground. Fulmina pulled him along to make sure he wouldn't slow down, noticing how closely the MTs followed them.

Then there was a bang that made them both jump and they realized it was a ceremonial way to mark their arrival.

"Lady Fulmina Scientia, reknowed scientist of Insomnia, guest of our emperor, Iedolas Aldercapt. You are hereby deemed an honorary citizen of Gralea, first city of Nifelheim. Every citizen must abide by the imperial rules."

The rules were simple enough.

 _You bleed for the empire._

 _You die for the empire._

 _You think for the empire._

"Mom…" Ignis whispered, his small hand clutching to the fabric of her skirt.

"Hush, my little man."

Her voice felt different. He couldn't quite ping how, but he wanted to have a look in her eyes. Sadly, he couldn't take his eyes off the man stating what their future would hold.

"If you run or if you refuse to cooperate with us, we'll have no choice but to consider you as prisoners, which would mean a one-way ticket to the labs…"

…

The first four hours of the ride had been nothing but Gladiolus and Iris playing a game between themselves while Ignis listened to a podcast detailing the 10 best ways to cook in the wild. It included roasting food under the hood of a car and Gladiolus was really eager for them to try it out, while Ravus doubted the Regalia would like that treatment. It was an old car with a lot of character, and they stalled just past half a mile after Hammerhead.

"I told you we should have made a pit stop," Ignis stated, keeping his face neutral as he held back a sigh.

"But would his royal highness listen?" Gladiolus added, avoiding Iris's instinctive slap on his arm.

Ravus clenched his teeth, wondering how long he could endure their attitude.

"I'll hire some bird and head to the tomb while you have the car towed and find some shades," he decided.

"You shouldn't go off on your own," Iris observed, looking between her brother and Ignis for back-up.

"None of you wants to be here, so I can at least try to make your lives easier, can't I?!"

He stalked off with that, Gladiolus exchanging a brief look with Ignis.

"You'll be alright with the car?"

"Yeah, you do your job and I'll do mine," the advisor answered.

It wasn't the first time he picked things up after the prince and he knew it wouldn't be the last. Iris was already catching up with the chosen king, Gladiolus following a few feet behind.

"I said…"

"We heard," Iris cut him off, grabbing his sleeve to make sure he didn't warp away. He'd done that a few times when he'd been younger and the only way to keep him in place in such a situation was to make him realize he wasn't as unwanted as he felt.

Ravus looked down at her hand, his breath catching a little. He wanted to hold her hand if only to make sure she wouldn't pull away but couldn't work up the nerve to do so. He slowed down until their steps mirrored each other's, stretching his fingers nervously. Iris noticed the crease on his forehead.

"Seeing Lucis like this for the first time is weird, huh?"

"It is your first time getting out of Insomnia after all," he managed despite the knot in his throat.

"Like you remember anything from that time when you were a kid!"

"I remember all the dust," he said, heaving a sigh. "I had forgotten how much warmer it was though."

Was his father's wall the one thing they had to thank for the temperate climate of Insomnia?

"Are we really going to ride chocobos?" Iris asked.

"That tomb is a good ten miles away, I don't think any of us would like that walk under that sun."

"The ride is going to be rough too," Gladio cut into their talk. "Don't go imagining there's an AC coming with the bird. I think we're far enough from the road to call them."

Iris released Ravus's sleeve as she realized how close her brother was and the prince wondered if he'd get a chance to talk with her at any point in the trip. He wasn't sure why she'd come after that awful scene back in his room. The birds answered the whistle's call and their ride was mostly uneventful, the trio running into a pack of sabertusks Gladiolus insisted on evading by making a wide circle around their hunting grouds.

"I know we could take them, but why run ahead of trouble when we already have a broken car on our hands?"

Ravus had wished he could let some his anger out on a few beasts, but he wasn't going to disagree with his bodyguard. He was growing tired of being the bad guy. At least his mount didn't treat him like some parasite that had no right to live.

 _There's desperate, and then there's me,_ he thought bitterly.

The Tomb of the Wise was hidden past a hunters's camp, which was in the same state of ruin as every broken house they'd seen on their way up here. If this was all Lucis had to offer outside of Insomnia, it was a far too barren country to justify why the empire even cared about the territory it represented.

"Where did the few cars we see go?" Iris asked her brother as he helped her off her bird despite her initial protest.

"There's a few safe places in between the desolation. Galdyn Quay, Lestallum, and those hot springs where I bought you that keychain."

"And brought too many girls if I remember correctly?"

True to himself, Gladio smirked in answer, unable to hold back his tongue.

"And not a single one of them regretted it!"

Ravus and Iris both rolled their eyes at him and when they realized how easily they'd fallen in their usual habit, a light blush tinted their cheeks. Seeing the awkwardness coming back, the prince's Shield clapped Ravus on his shoulder.

"Okay, Rave-highness. You didn't forget the keys in the car?"

"Of course not!" Ravus instantly took offense.

"Then get moving. We only have minimal camping gear with us thanks to your little tantrum earlier and Iris is not sleeping under the stars tonight."

The prince opened his mouth and slowly closed it. His bad attitude had landed him here and if he didn't learn to control his temper, he might completely lose Iris and his chance to ever have a friend outside of her. The concerned brunette was growing nervous as she saw him struggling to pull the key out of his pocket with the cast on his wrist. She still resented him for what he'd done, but she was growing more and more concerned about the pretense Ardyn had ordered her to keep. If someone had to know what was really going on in the citadel, it was Ravus, if only for him to realize that he couldn't trust the counsellor! Shifting from one leg to the other, Iris cleared her throat right as the prince took his first step toward the Tomb.

"Can I go with you?"

"I…" He wanted to ask her why she even felt like accompanying him. "Of course you can. My father never said any of these tombs were off-limits."

The pair threw a glance at Gladio who shrugged.

"I hate those moldy places," the shield grunted. "And I'd rather make sure we have a quick exit when you're done with the magic. You know what I'll do if you make her cry again, right?"

"Brother!"

Ravus simply gulped, not sure he could handle all this pressure. This was his first test in years as the chosen king, as the rightful and only heir. He felt wrong, twisting the key around in the lock, pushing on this door that only a handful of hands had pushed before him. He needed to use his shoulder and some of his weight to move the door ajar, coughing as the scent of moldy dust reached his nose. He stepped into the dark room, Iris right on his heels.

There was an awkward moment after their eyes had adapted to the darkness, Iris wondering out loud how he was supposed to proceed while Ravus wanted to ask for her forgiveness again.

"You really don't have to be nice with me, Iris," he told her. "I know I…"

"Me being angry with you doesn't mean I want you running headfirst into danger," the girl reminded him.

"Ir…"

"Ravus, I don't want more of your apologies. I simply don't have the heart to leave you alone to deal with all this," she explained, gesturing at the room.

It was gloomy, with the statues staring at them and the effigy of an ancestor long forgotten holding a sword in his eternal sleep. Ravus took a deep breath, lips thin from pinching them together too hard and raised his good hand to touch the stone, like his father had told him to. It felt cold under his skin, but while he tried to sense the same tug as the crystal, nothing happened. Time stretched, old doubts insinuating themselves in his head. This had to work, he was Regis's son and his father had collected this sword before him. He'd said it would work.

After two minutes of nothing, Ravus pulled his hand back, glaring at his own palm, fingers twitching a second. Iris held her breath while he tried a second time. But nothing happened. No magic, no blur, nothing.

"Don't tell me he…?"

 _Only two royals can hold the sword at the same time, Regis had explained to Noctis and him._

" _So what would happen if I could…" Noctis tentatively asked._

" _I'm the chosen King, the royal arms should be mine!" a four-year-old Ravus opposed._

" _I wonder… what if you boys could share them?" Regis offered._

They had never agreed on anything like sharing though. Not for toys and certainly not for the royal weapons.

"Ravus?" Iris tried calling his name.

"It's not working…" he managed through clenched teeth, running both hands through his hair as he tried to regain his composure.

"Why wouldn't it…?"

"I don't know. My father said I just needed to be in phase with my magic and I can still…"

Snapping his fingers, he created a small lightning bolt that vanished into the air as quickly as he'd called it.

"Nothing's as it should be," Ravus snapped, his arms gesturing wildly. "My dad was all strange lately and I can't make him proud no matter what I do. I can't even manage this!"

Iris's heart clenched as she thought of the last time she'd seen the King.

"There has to be an explanation."

"Well, all I can think of is that Noctis came here after leaving Insomnia."

There was venom in his voice and Iris couldn't control her surge of anger. How self-centered could the guy get? She grabbed him by the ear, pulling him back in front of her hard enough to elicit a yelp of pain.

"If he did, don't you believe he was justified after the shit you pulled?"

"I…! Ow, I'm… You're right. It's just… I'm failing at everything right now…"

Was he worried about failing his people too or was he only thinking of what Regis could think? Iris was starting to wonder if he was owed the truth about his father yet. She freed him, her eyes remaining disapproving as his face crumbled into a contrite expression, but she spoke before he could give her any excuse.

"Noctis is your goddamn brother! If you didn't have all those bruises left, I think I could punch you."

"Well, I won't fight back if you do," he whispered, massaging his ear.

She hated seeing him so defeated. It was so hard to swing from one emotion to the next, Iris was starting to wonder if she even understood herself anymore.

"Maybe another day," Iris declared, not sounding as playful as she had intended, paling slightly as her thoughts focused on what she needed to tell him. "Right now, I need to confirm something with you, Rave."

Seeing the change in her eyes, Ravus couldn't help taking a step closer to her, even though she wouldn't let him hold her.

"What is it?"

"Can Ardyn spy on us?" Iris inquired.

His eyes turned round as saucers and she swallowed, her mouth too dry as she remembered the counsellor's threats.

"Why would he…? He can't!" the prince said. "I swear he can't despite his weird magic."

Her shoulders relaxed at the certainty in his voice, but her hands stayed turned into fists. Was this really enough for her to speak up?

"I know why your father has been so weird lately," she started, trying to keep her breathing even. "I need to get this off my chest, but first… I need to make sure you won't do something to warn Ardyn."

"What?!"

"I need to know I can trust you, Rave."

There was nothing fake about the pain on his face as he took the full brunt of her admission, but he nodded slowly, teeth clenched in self-loathing.

"I earned that. The gods be damned, Iris, how do I…? I love you. I would never…," he cursed and corrected himself, his good arm shaking, "I swear I will never do anything that could harm you or your brother."

"Words are nice, but I don't think they're enough…"

"Then what would be enough?!"

"I'm not sure! But surely you wouldn't do anything to hurt your own father to be Ardyn's dog, would you?"

Ravus almost froze at that, a mix of shock and anger threatening to take over. Iris stood in front of him, holding herself with her arms, small and clearly terrified, but still holding him in place with her accusatory glare. He ran one hand over his face, pulling on his hair in the hope it might take the guilt away.

"Shit. I'm really a monster to you now… You can't stay like this, Iris. I don't know what you need to say about my father, but…"

Gladiolus barged in then, finding them in the middle of their stand-off, his chest puffed up and eyes dark.

"I heard arguing. I knew I shouldn't have let you alone with him."

At his sight and the thought of the masquerade their father was exposed to, Iris couldn't help a few tears and her brother turned livid.

"I told you not to make her cry!" he snapped.

"No, Gladio, no, it's… Gladio, I need to tell you something. Alone."

Ravus took the hint and walked out, his mind boiling with whatever could have happened to make her so warry. Ardyn was involved and so was his father, but he couldn't begin to fathom how… Still inside, Gladiolus lost all his sharpness as Iris rushed into his arms.

"On that day I went to see the King… He was… He was stabbed by the chancellor and…"

"WHAT?!"

"Listen to me first, brother," she asked, her hands gripping to his jacket. "You need to know all of it."

…

Ravus had been sitting on the last stair to the tomb, nervously making one crazy hypothesis after another as he waited. It took only a few minutes before a violent cracking sound made him jump to his feet, whipping around to watch the right door to the royal tomb being broken off by Gladio's furious charge.

"You…! You bastard!"

Ravus barely had the sense to raise his arms, but his Shield broke his meek defense with a slap so he could punch him square in the face. The prince was pushed six feet back and nearly lost his balance, tasting blood in his mouth.

"Was it funny to watch me fight your brother? Was it funny to…!" Gladio roared in anger, unable to channel it into words and Iris covered her mouth as Ravus was pushed to the ground by a kick and forced to shield his head with his arms as his bodyguard's wrath took the better of him.

"I…"

"Shut up! Your little games paid up when Iris revealed the whole thing to the King. You got your father stabbed and impersonated by your dear chancellor."

Ravus stopped protecting himself to look up in shock and Gladiolus kicked him hard enough for bones to crack.

"Gladio, stop!"

"Why? Are you afraid I'll lose my job? Do you think I care for his cute little ass? Our father is protecting a monster instead of our King while I have this weasel to look after."

Ravus let out a choked whimper as his brain tried piecing together the news he was hearing. Gladio was raising his fist again, but Iris rushed to the prince, covering him with her body to halt her brother's rage.

"Hurting him won't change the situation."

Talons on the sand almost covered her words, but it didn't prevent a newcomer from catching them on the fly.

"What situation?" a new voice interfered.

They looked up to see Ignis dismounting a chocobo, appraising the sight of a beaten up Ravus, Gladio standing over him with his knuckles red and bruised, Iris shaking like a leaf.

"Iggy. Good timing," Gladiolus welcomed his friend. "Maybe you can help me hide his body."

"I thought I heard a behemoth stampede and thought I'd better check it out, but this is worse than what I had imagined. What did Ravus do?"

"He framed Noctis to get rid of him," Gladiolus quickly explained. "Ardyn pulled a few strings, but our dear princeling was a hundred percent agreed as long as it got his brother out of the picture. So we've got our culprit walking free and blamed our friend for nothing."

Ignis made an admirable effort to keep his countenance and failed after meeting Ravus's gaze, reading shame all over his bruised face. His eyes turned so cold, Ravus could have sworn the temperature had dropped.

"You knew," Ignis whispered, taking four careful steps forward to crouch in front of the prince. He was careful not to kneel because that might have looked respectful and he was fed-up with the brat. "You knew I was chasing away my best friend and an innocent man and you still gave me those orders…"

Iris felt Gladio pulling on the collar of her uniform and was too surprised by Ignis's cold anger to resist, Ravus finding himself alone in front of the seething advisor.

"I…"

"What did you lack in your miserable life so badly that you needed to get rid of the one man who gave a damn about you? Cause Noct gave a damn, believe it or not. I obeyed your orders because he begged me to. Tell me, what did you miss? Was it your mother? Your magic? Or fighting skills?"

"Ig…"

A back-handed slap interrupted him and Ignis barely raised his voice as he warned Ravus.

"Don't. Speak. My. Name. I was loyal. I fed you every day. Wrote your speeches, ironed your stupid clothes. I was a prisoner for years and how did you repay me? Reinstate me into child labor so I can bow at every of your whim while… Do you even remember what happened to _my_ family because of yours?! My father gave his life, my mother was raped on a daily basis by imperial men while hoping for a rescue that never came and after that you told me to wag my tail for a paycheck. And I wagged left and right like you asked."

The Amicitia's siblings looked in horror, not sure they recognized this Ignis. He spoke slowly, calmly, but he had never sounded this invested when speaking to Ravus. He pulled him by the hair in a sharp motion and the prince whimpered and grabbed at his scalp with one hand, raising his other arm in a pathetic attempt to protect his already bruised ribs.

"What's your sad story, chosen King? What makes you so broken you have a right to risk Gladiolus's life and have your own brother exiled?!"

"Not…nothing," Ravus uttered through his quivering voice.

"That's some pathetic confession," he snickered. "I've learned things in the empire. Things that would make you scream. You think your life was torture? You think you know how pain feels?"

"Iggy," Gladio started, holding Iris in place as she struggled against his arms in hope she could get between Ignis and Ravus.

The advisor realized he might have been taking this too far, even though it didn't feel that way and he dropped the boy, standing back to his full height.

"I had a point, but I might have gotten sidetracked," he admitted, straightening his shirt while Ravus curled up on himself in a pitiful shivering and whimpering mess.

"I know he was wrong," Iris whispered. "But that doesn't mean he earned…"

"Iris, you're a kind soul, but I can't forgive his actions. I don't care if Ardyn whispered the ideas into his mind like the snake he is. You were too young to remember… Lucis has been a prison for me ever since Noctis was exiled and now I know for certain..."

The tall man took a step back, rolling his shoulders once before cracking his neck in the hopes the nervousness settling in would disappear.

"Iggy, are you… leaving?" Gladio asked. "I can't deal with that brat alone and you know it."

"I'm sorry, my friend, but with what we've read on the news, I think there's a prince who needs me more than this one. Just try to eat _actual_ food."

"Wait, you can't…!" Iris started.

Ravus struggled to push himself up, spitting blood mixed with tears, sniveling pitifully.

"I know it's not worth much," he managed, "but I deeply regret…"

"Oh save it!" Gladio snapped. "This scar and all the nerve damage I have to deal with everyday are not going anywhere thanks to regrets. I can't even look at you right now."

"What a fine King he'll make," Ignis added.

Ravus broke down into sobs and Iris couldn't bear it anymore, rushing to his side while the two men still standing exchanged a long look.

"Do you think you can handle this trip with chocobos as your only transportation?" the former advisor asked.

"Are you taking the car as your retirement payment?" Gladio suggested.

"Can you blame me?"

Gladio really couldn't given the circumstances. Ignis stalked off without one more word, knowing that staying any longer to look at that pitiful boy he'd called his liege would make him do something he'd regret. At least for Iris's sake. His steps were far from steady, but they stayed purposeful as he distanced himself from his last link to Lucis, hurrying to the garage where the car would hopefully be fixed before that Ravus regained his senses.

Ignis remembered only one time when he was this angry.

 _Snow creaked under his boots and after three years of acclimating himself to the cold, Ignis had to admit, it was getting easier. Warmth had grown so rare in his life, he barely remembered how it felt anyway. He'd argued with his mother. Again._

"Where do you think you're going?"

He didn't have to look up to recognize Aranea Highwind's voice. She'd become his bodyguard on his first week in Nilflheim and after the initial fear, he'd come to realize she was just as much a prisoner as he.

"Isn't this your day off, Ara…" He paused as he noticed the severe limp in her steps, stopping dead in his tracks. Aranea was a headstrong girl, two years his senior and already training harshly under Glauca's orders. When she wasn't the victim of a certain mad scientist.

"Yeah, I just _had_ to visit V's labs."

She flicked her eyes at him, hoping he'd understand she didn't want to talk about it and Ignis accepted her excuse with clenched teeth. He'd been witness to a few of Verstael's experiments since his arrival and he knew how harsh the scientist could be. The man cared for science first and people later. In fact, he seemed more in love with his machines and transhumanism engineering than anything else.

"Should you be walking?"

"When you leave the premises for something other than school, I follow you, Ig, that's the rule," the silver-haired girl reminded him, entirely brushing aside his concerns.

They would usually play together whenever they could get away from other Niff's eyes, Ignis finding a reprieve in her presence, even though his mother disapproved of this friendship. She was terrified Aranea could turn him into another imperial. Meanwhile, the boy wondered what being Lucian meant. Had his friends forgotten him like he was starting to forget them? There was a hole in his heart, larger by the day.

"I wouldn't run away," he whispered, trying to hold down his bitterness.

"I'd catch you," Aranea offered, as was her usual joke.

"Or maybe you'd run with me? This life can't be nice."

He'd never suggested such a thing before and his friend was taken by surprise. This time her limp stretched into a fall and he tried catching her, only for both kids to collapse on the ground. Their foreheads hit and they both groaned, pushing the other away. This was too close for comfort, but Ignis froze when he saw Aranea wincing as she rolled on her side. She literally yelped as she tried to get back to her feet, her left leg bending in a scary way. He sat on his heels, trying to ascertain the situation.

"What's wrong? Is it broken?" he asked timidly.

He knew she didn't like to be found lacking and he didn't like angering her. Her smiles were rare, and they made him feel incredibly warm inside.

"He said it wasn't, but it hurts…" the girl managed, her voice quivering as the pain overwhelmed her.

She had a tremendous tolerance for pain as Ignis had learned when she took a beating in his stead once, which convinced him he needed to trick his bullies in a way that would warrant Aranea's safety. He'd given them such a scare with her help, no one under the age of fourteen had dared to cross his path ever since.

Right now, they were in the middle of the forest, his bodyguard curling up on herself with tears welling up in her eyes and Ignis was afraid any help he could call would mean punishment for her.

"Is it only your leg?"

"What else would it be? He wants me to become a freaking jumper," she half snapped at him.

When he touched her shoulder to help her sit up, her first reaction was to slap it away from her and Ignis flinched, reminded of his mother's reactions as of late. Fulmina was growing distant despite her best effort. Her son was growing taller with every passing year and she was terrified to see him turn into a man. The nickname of "little man" was gone without a replacement and the nights he could snuggle close to her for comfort were also gone.

"I apologize if I…"

"Oh please, Iggy, I'm hurting, I'm not some rabid court creature."

"I don't have a potion with me," he deplored.

Aranea reached one hand out, agreeing to take his help so she could sit up in the snow, her hair sticking out of her braid oddly. There was something in her eyes that made Ignis's throat tighten and he couldn't quite understand why. Her lips were thin from being pinched together too roughly. Her breathing was quick and came out in shudders as they determined taking her boot off would make things worse.

"What happened?"

"A new kind of target practice," Aranea started explaining. " _I_ was the target this time."

"What was he using for…?"

She shook her head, her shoulders trembling as she closed her eyes tight.

"This doesn't concern…"

"How can you be my bodyguard if he hurts you like this? I can't let this…"

"Iggy, you're a child. No matter how brilliant you are, do you think anyone will listen?"

She should have known better, because when he saw injustice, Ignis was always ready to try. As soon as he knew the girl was safe back in her barracks, or at least as she could be there, he got to work.

The boy started with his mother, who raised her voice to the point the guards came in alert and Ignis couldn't contain his anger then, which earned him a black eye and one appointment with Verstael.

"You question my work, Scientia?"

"I question your methods," Ignis protested with all the arrogance youth could confer.

"You need to see it for yourself," Verstael decided, catching him by the shoulder and dragging him up a flight of stairs, pushing him against the railing whenever Ignis threatened to fight against his vice-like grip. "Here!" the man exclaimed as they reached the top.

Ignis was hurled forward and couldn't hold back a gasp when the scientist grabbed him by the waist to lift him in the air. The boy fell silent when he saw what this small balcony was overlooking. A maze stretched beneath them, filled with automatized traps and a few lurking daemons.

"You remember the full week you were stuck home since Highwind was on a mission? That was after her first go in my Realer-Than-Life simulator. She's made a lot of progress since then, only getting away with a hairline fracture in one leg. She nearly jumped up the first wall, but she's not quick enough on her feet yet."

A daemon had been clawing at one wall and lurked over it, instantly getting hit by metal balls the size of a tennis ball. Ignis's stomach dropped to his knees as he understood what Aranea had been through. Alone, inside a maze that covered one square mile of danger.

"Not a lot of recruits can make it through and it's a shame I can't oversee your training. But a brain of your caliber must understand how much hard work I had to put into this facility. Or maybe you'd give one go at the maze?"

Ignis was ashamed as he remembered his fear and the way his head immediately shook. He knew better than to believe Verstael would follow on this sort of threat since his mother's brain was still useful to the empire. They'd enrolled him in strategy classes and he knew they might use his tactics if he got too caught up in the subject. _He was a tool and a title and nothing more._

…

"I'll need one more hour to fix her," Dino told him when he got back.

Ignis tried to find himself something to do, too agitated to stay idle. His phone had no new messages and he switched for the other phone he'd kept on him at all times, one he'd never used in fear it would be tracked by someone in Lucis. There was no message on it either, but the connection came up without a hitch and after sending out two texts, he couldn't bear with the silence anymore, hitting the call button of the only number registered.

It rang thirteen times before that her voice answered.

"Something's wrong?" she asked her before even saying hello.

The longing became unsustainable and Ignis fought with the knot in his throat.

"Are you okay?"

He knew she should have been on the field that fateful day the Oracle snatched the airships from the sky and made a show of putting the empire back in its place. While Noctis's name was on the news, no imperial officers had made it into any newspapers and the very sound of her voice alleviate some of his fears.

"I… You're making the switch?" she tried, her voice shivering.

The codes, all the codes they'd made to protect each other. He wanted them gone and no space left between them, he needed to see her, hold her, hide with her until his mind cleared. Find himself again.

"Nea, please, answer my question," he begged her.

"No. I mean. I'm _not_ okay. There's no more Finns, there's…"

"Are you still in…?"

Her sob came on through the phone and his heart shattered at the thought he couldn't comfort her in any way right now.

"Altissia," she managed through her tears. "Might as well take risks, Iggy."

"I'll race on water then."

"What?!"

"I'm running away," he whispered, remembering the look on her face back on that day.

 _Run with me? We can do better than this. We never belonged anywhere but together._

"I'll catch you before you can even try," Aranea said.

"There will be no getting rid of me if you do."

"How long can we have this truce?"

Truce meant no Lucis, no empire. Truce meant that brief dream allowed by Noctis, when Ignis was only seventeen and could actually live with her for a couple weeks. They'd tried reinventing their world together until their roots called them back to reality. Truce meant no reality. How long?

 _Forever, forever, forever_ , his heart told him.

"As long as you want me."

Her answer was a strangled sob and Ignis cried with her at the idea they still had to wait.

"Just a bit longer," he promised.

 _I'll be in your arms. And we'll be home._

To be continued…

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Next chapter might come out sooner, unless I work on Unexpected, my attention is still divided between all of my stories and since my stress is high, I write a lot lately in between my work. Let me know what you think of the direction this story is taking. Ignoct bromance is coming up if I can get Ignis off the Lucian continent. I have a really big weekend coming, a big event for which I coordinate volunteers while being kept in the dark quite enough to feel anxious. It will turn out fine, but let's say I can't wait for mid-august.

I hope I'll be back with an update soon-ish. Stay awesome in the meantime!


	16. Recover your faith

Today we have friendship and fluff and friendship and more fluff. I totally indulged myself there, and I'm paving the way for some shameless smut in the next few chapters. Enjoy!

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Stranded

Chapter 15 – Recover your faith

Cindy was by Luna's bedside on the following morning, insisting she'd take over looking after her so that Noctis could take some time to rest after waiting hours in the ER.

"You, highness, gave us quite a scare," the mechanic told her friend as soon as Luna recognized her through her hazy eyes. "Good morning by the way."

"Good morning," Luna croaked, wincing at how parched her throat felt.

It was so uncomfortable to come back to her senses and take into account all the aches and sores in her body, the princess wished she could fall back into a deep slumber until everything was healed. Her thoughts rushed right to the news she'd received and her mix of shame, amazement and guilt.

"Don't speak before drinking some water, gal, here, let me help."

Cindy gently sat her up, propped up on her pillows and held her glass with one hand, her other arm wrapping around the Oracle's shoulders.

"Thank you. I'm so sorry for going out there and acting so rashly," Luna tried apologizing.

"You kicked the empire's ass," Cindy countered. "To the point there's over six bodyguards looking after this floor in case anyone would try getting to you. I had to go through four check-ups before finally being allowed into your room."

"Aren't you exaggerating a little?" Luna asked as she leaned back against her pillow.

" _Noctis_ was the one who oversaw your protection in this case, with the help of Lady Camelia. Prompto almost wanted to tie him up to his bed at four in the morning."

"He was still up by then?!"

Luna's eyes widened and they had been so small from exhaustion that they barely looked like their usual selves, except for the redness that made Cindy wonder what news Noctis had held out on Prompto and her. He had been quite open about Luna's state, until some point in the conversation where he'd froze after saying _"to believe she's even…"_ He'd stopped himself, wondering if it was wise to share this news when Luna was so closely concerned and while Cindy immediately imagined the worst, he'd assured both Prompto and herself that it wasn't anything bad.

"He's frantic. We all were. I don't understand how you think you can pull stuff like this without worrying any of us. You're my best friend."

"Oh, Cindy, I'm so sorry," Luna whispered, reaching for her hand and squeezing it tight. "I had no idea I'd do anything like this when I left yersterday morning. I wanted to revise my plans, but when Leviathan spoke to me, all I could see was a way to save this city without causing more harm to the people I love."

"By almost getting yourself killed? Counter-productive don't you think?"

Luna gave a self-derisive chuckle and apologized once more. They sat in silence side by side for an instant, Cindy sensing a remaining tension in the air.

"Out with it. What's still eating at you? The empire is no threat anymore."

The princess grimaced a bit, her free hand instinctively reaching for her belly and Cindy frowned.

"It's really new and I didn't have any symptom for it," Luna said, clearly struggling to defend herself for the news she had yet to name. "…at least, I mixed them up with stress and being overworked…" Cindy offered her a smile as she paused, Luna taking a deep breath before telling her the news. "I… I'm pregnant."

Cindy blinked once, her hand squeezing Luna's with more strength while a smile crept up on her face as she looked from Luna's eyes to her still flat stomach.

"Are you for real?" the pilot exclaimed. "Ha, sounds like you're finally going to have to slow down a bit!"

"Is that all you have to tell me?!" Luna raised her brows at her in indignation, flushing all the way down to her neck.

Cindy raised her hands in the air to appease her.

"What am I supposed to say? We're 25 and waging a war, I thought you and Noctis were being prudent while acting like freaking rabbits in heat."

"Cin, please!"

"Honestly, I've never seen you depending this much on a single guy."

"I love him more than I knew I could. I know it's not entirely healthy, but I'd rather have him as my drug than an actual drug. We keep each other together."

"In more ways than one apparently. I can't picture you with a round belly."

"Me neither," Luna confessed. "I almost killed that baby along with myself yesterday. And I don't know what using my magic does to the poor thing. There's three more Astrals I got me to meet, I can't…"

Cindy shook her head at her, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Girl, why don't you worry about that later? You need to rest and recover right now."

Luna groaned as she raised herself a little higher on her pillows.

"I know! But I need to make a decision about the baby. The timing is wrong and… Noctis said he didn't care about it dying or not. All he worries about is me."

Cindy rolled her eyes before scooting over to wrap one arm around Luna's shoulders, the Oracle leaning her head against in the crook of her neck without much more encouragement.

"How do you expect the guy to react to an unplanned pregnancy? He doesn't even know if he can call you his girlfriend around strangers."

Luna covered her face with her hands, her whole frame trembling as she tried to hold back a sob, Cindy mentally chiding herself for driving her deeper into guilt without meaning to.

"I've done everything wrong with him," Luna hit herself on the head.

"It doesn't sound that way. And you know crying hurts your ribs."

"I'm scared, Cin."

Her friend nodded, brushing her hair and giving her time to regain some of her composure before trying a new joke.

"I'd be terrified if I was in your shoes. Any child of yours will be impossible to look after, but with Noctis's DNA put into the mix, it's going to be a wild little thing. Your kingdom might very well be doomed."

Luna did laugh at that, even though a few more tears came down.

"If I can keep it, would you be the godmother?"

"Don't you have Gentiana for that stuff?"

"I'd rather have my best friend do it,"

"Aww, you're going to make me blush," Cindy managed, actually tearing up.

It was hard to fight against her impulse to squeeze Luna in her arms just to reassure herself about the girl being alright. She'd come so close to losing her.

"You'd better stay safe, little mama."

"Oh lords. Don't call me that yet!"

…

Noctis had argued with Luna about it, but he'd started his rehabilitation as a live-in patient at the center of Accordo, even if that meant he couldn't assist Luna when she was discharged from the hospital or see her for more than a few hours every week when she came to pick him up with Prompto. The princess had been stuck in bed and insisted she was boring to hang out with and also that she'd heal up faster knowing he was doing everything in his power so they could leave Altissia sooner. The city on water had lost most of its charms for the pair with the recent events.

He heard a chime and rolled over in his bed, reaching for his phone.

 _L: How was your day?_

Noctis stifled a light whine as his fingers hovered above the screen, his right hand shaking too much to be of any use and he typed back with his left hand.

 _N: Hey. Outside of missing you, it was a good day. How are you?_

He almost held his breath as he waited for an answer. Until now, Noctis hadn't realized how used to having her around he'd grown. They could spend a whole day apart in Tenebrae, him training people while she dealt with paperwork, but they were never further apart than a few stairs and doors. Now he couldn't remember the last time they'd slept next to each other.

 _L: I'm still coughing like crazy, you're not missing anything._

 _But it's just a cold?_ Noctis insisted.

He'd read as much as he could and learned a lot of terrifying things and couldn't bear the idea he'd lose her to an illness after everything they'd been through.

 _L: I swear it is, I have a nurse checking on me outside of Cindy and Prompto and I don't need hospital care. Just rest. And yes, I am resting. I slept 16 hours last night…_

 _I doubt that counts as a night at this rate,_ he teased her.

 _L: It does if I say so. Enough about me. Today was the last day of your second week._

 _N: There's a lot more weeks to come. I'm typing slow._

 _L: You need to be patient with yourself, my love._

Her words made him sigh, his heart swelling with longing.

 _N: I miss your voice, Luna._

 _L: Right now, I sound like a frog. And our baby is giving me hiccups again._

Noctis froze at the casual mention to the baby. He'd seen the ultrasound pictures, but it still felt so unreal. He'd seen a head and tiny limbs attached to the white dot that shifted in jerky motions on the gray pictures. It looked almost human and Luna had cried seeing it while all he could do was stare with a dozen fears tightening his throat. A baby had killed his mother. A baby was so vulnerable. A baby was family and he wasn't sure he was cut out for family with how his had fallen apart.

 _Hey, don't go into shock,_ she asked, the three dots signaling she was writing some more remaining on for a good five minutes as she decided on what she wanted to add.

 _N: I'm not going into shock, Luna. I'm slow at processing this._

 _L: Maybe we should stop being slow before it's too late to make a decision._

The twitch in his right arm was so violent, Noctis couldn't stand any weight on it and sat up in his bed. He called her, the tonality replaced by her coughs and throaty voice.

"I'd warned you I sounded like a…"

"Luna, I won't joke about this. I don't know how long we have before it gets too dangerous…"

She hacked and wheezed as she tried to muster words and Noctis wished he could fix her with the little magic in his veins.

"I'm bad at expressing myself on this, but I don't want to impose any choice on you. You're the one who's pregnant."

"We can't have such a talk on the phone," Luna warned him. "I'll visit as soon as I'm better, we can come back to the suite and talk things out."

It was complicated to get out of the center for Noctis, but that was because he needed an aggressive treatment if he wanted fast results and Luna had insisted she was well looked after by their friends. He still blamed himself for being wounded so badly in the first place, but what was done was done. Regrets weren't going to change anything about the pregnancy either.

"Okay. I can't wait to see you."

"I can't wait for our drama to be over," she tried teasing him.

"You sound tired. You need more sleep, cat princess."

"Oh gods, don't call me that."

He smiled then, picturing the way she was rolling her eyes. He wanted to hold her so badly right now.

"Go to bed and dream of me," he insisted, hoping his longing wasn't too clear in his voice. "Love you."

"Love you, Noct."

That night, they both tossed and turned as they wondered what the other was really thinking and not telling about the looming decision they needed to make. Noctis tried to garner some information via Prompto, but he couldn't text much during the day and the gunman had his hands full keeping the press off Luna's back and looking after the princess with Cindy's help. So Noctis focused on his rehab, pushing himself through every exercise hoping his arm would react eventually. That something would just click back into place from all the massages, treatments and painful sessions of retraining. His progress was undeniable, but holding things was painful, and the shaking wouldn't leave.

It was three days later that he received a message warning him Luna would come to pick him up, meaning he'd better brace himself for a very serious talk. He wasn't sure he was ready, but then again, was Luna feeling any more sure?

When his phone beeped at two pm, Noctis nearly tore off the elastic he was using for his latest exercise in his rush to confirm it was Luna. Underneath all the anxiety he felt at the idea they were having THE talk about this unexpected pregnancy, Noctis couldn't help a pure sense of euphoria at the idea he would see her. Luna didn't like the various face-call applications, always worried their exchanges could be traced, and also explaining she looked like hell and preferred texting or talking. Noctis wondered how much of a teenage boy he was since he'd counted the days in between their real life meetings. It had been 9 days apart and the very idea put him on edge.

 _I think I have an addiction…_

"Finish this round of exercise before panicking," his instructor called him back to reality. "If you bust out of here running, you'll give us bad press."

And Lunafreya was trying to be discreet when she visited, using the canals despite her strong aversion to water ever since the Most Dangerous Hunt advent.

Cindy was the one with her, keeping an arm around her friend's shoulders to offer her support as they stopped by the pier hiding inside the building. Noctis knew he only had a few hours of freedom before coming back to the rehab center, so he joined them on the boat after throwing on a jacket and the cap Prompto had given him to help avoid curious looks.

"You really look younger than you are this way."

"And you don't look suspicious at all, wearing a full-on veil," he teased Luna back.

"I thought it made my eyes stand out," the princess observed, Cindy snorting.

"I can't believe the first secretary paid a hundred ladies to wear veils like this one in order to give you an excuse to walk around incognito," the mechanic laughed. "I know you just did Accordo the biggest favor you could, but this thing makes it hard to breathe!"

As much for moral support as to help the princess in not being spotted by anyone, Cindy had taken up wearing the veil too when she accompanied her somewhere.

"Are you certain you're not saddened by the fact you can't flash any skin in this get-up?" Noctis suggested.

That earned him a slap from both girls and a comment about spending too much time with Prompto.

"Where is he?" the exiled prince asked.

"Stayed back at the hotel. There's a dozen guys like him in the hospital so he's been getting trouble every time he walks out."

From the way Cindy added the last part, it was clear there had been a few crisis to calm down between them and Noctis decided to lay off the teasing. It was Prompto who had told Noctis of how things had changed between him and Cindy first. Luna had tried getting Cindy to put a name on what was going on, but the mechanic had refused to call it anything more than a fling.

Noctis and Luna had agreed not to comment, seeing as they couldn't exactly point fingers. Noctis was still worried about Prompto, while Luna wanted to make sure neither of her friends would get hurt in the awkwardness developing between them.

"Has to be hard, having so many lookalikes," Noctis sighed before looking for a way to change the subject. "So," he started, his attention focusing on Cindy while he drew a light shiver along Luna's right arm. "How long did she sleep last night?"

"I wouldn't call it a night," Cindy answered. "She was out for a good twelve hours."

"Only ten!" Luna protested, her blush and smile effectively hidden by the blue veil she wore.

Their gondolier laughed at their antics as discreetly as he could, and the travel was spent in idle chatter, Noctis being careful not to ask any question about health but unable to keep his hands to himself. He needed to hold Luna's hands, to brush her wrist with his thumb and tickle her ribs to reassure himself about the fact her bruises were really gone. He even dared to reach for her with his right hand despite how much it still shook and how hard grasping anything was. All those small touches were acceptable since she wasn't Lunafreya for the outside world right now and Luna had no intention to discourage him, happy to lean on him as they were rocked by the gentle water of the canals. Cindy rolled her eyes at their amorous ways, wondering why the adoring look in Noctis's eyes reminded her of a particular blond who didn't know when to shut up.

Upon reaching their hotel, Noctis helped Luna up the stairs, smiling at her weak protests, Cindy complaining that gallantry was really a one-minded business which earned her a defying look and Noctis's free arm.

"I didn't say I needed help," she laughed.

"Maybe if I preach a good example to Prom…" Noctis started suggesting.

"Oh, leave him out of this, you scoundrel!" Cindy playfully retorted, stepping away from him for good measures.

Luna giggled at the insult used against her man, clinging to him as her laugh left her gasping for air a second. There was something carefree in the gesture and Noctis realized how badly he'd wanted this. The sparkles in Luna's eyes told him she had been wanting nothing more herself and he wished the veil and his oversized jacket weren't necessary for them to even feel safe being this open about their love for each other.

"Don't take roots there, lovebirds," the mechanic warned as her own laugh died down.

They hurried across the street and inside the hotel, taking a side entrance to gather less attention before riding the elevator to their floor. Luna couldn't go through too much exercise yet, still winded by her cold. It drove her mad, but the magic toll she payed for summoning two Astrals at once and channeling their magic had sapped her energy.

Prompto welcomed them with Noctis's favorite snack, at least according to the gunman, which was triple meat nachos smothered with two different type of melted cheese.

"I hope you're not trying to get yourself forgiven for something," was Noctis's initial reaction and Prompto feigned offense, finding it hard not to smile or burst out laughing.

"I have been holding down the fort as the only man in the house for a couple weeks now. You have no idea what these girls get me into."

"Ladies," Cindy corrected him with a poke in the ribs.

"These really fine ladies," he agreed, poking her back and catching her hands in his when she tried to strike back, making her blush with a dashing smile.

Noctis almost felt bad for interrupting the moment, but he'd missed his friend and all the laughter he brought in his life.

"So what have you been getting into lately? I hope you've got pictures."

"No, but out of all the persons carrying this exact DNA," he started, tapping his chest with a macho face, "I have the prettiest nails!"

"What?!"

"We took him on a mani-pedi adventure," Luna explained, leaning against the counter as she debated whether she wanted some nachos herself or not. "Had him wearing his own veil and everything to make sure we wouldn't have difficulties on the way there."

Noctis sniggered and asked for pictures. The four of them sat down together to scroll down Prompto's camera growing collection of photos, Luna having to sit on Noctis's lap for them to have enough space to squeeze upon a single couch. Prompto held the device for Noctis, arguing that his hands were better occupied holding onto a princess.

"You really need to stop pushing your luck, you know, Prom?"

"Oh, don't you think I've paid for this in advance? I have paint on my toenails and no idea how to remove it!"

"He was perfectly agreeable with it," Cindy objected.

"Please tell me I don't have to wear sandals in Lucis!"

"I…" One look from Luna stopped Noctis mid-track and he bit back a smile. "I can't vouch for that. Apparently, you've been a real goblin for the past few days."

"A few pranks here and there to lighten the mood since everybody misses you and your brooding sighs," Prompto defended himself.

"Well, I don't miss you making fun of me being serious. But it's tough sometimes without the three of you around."

They had gotten pretty close during their stay at the hospital and Noctis needed to sit down with Prompto at a bar to curse against the world and share more crazy anecdotes about either of their crazy lives. Before Luna could apologize for his situation, Noctis asked Cindy about her airship's repairs. The thing had been assaulted by mercenaries and needed a lot of fine-tuning before they could head to Lucis. They talked for a good hour, sharing the mountain of nachos and laughter with ease, before the mechanic recalled an appointment to collect a specific piece of machinery.

"It's heavy, isn't it? She'll need me," Prompto declared, following her into the entryway to tease her about which color of veil she should wear to match his own incognito get-up -sunglasses and a top hat-.

Noctis slowly turned his full attention back to Luna, smiling with her as the pair of blonds argued on their way out, the princess jumping slightly at the door banging shut behind them.

"You nervous?" Noctis asked, kissing her temple as he hugged her closer to him.

"Just a bit lost in thought," she admitted, her shoulders slouching almost imperceptibly.

Her fingers worried against his palm and he brought her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles one by one.

"We have the afternoon, Luna, so you should be lost with me."

"Noct, I… I don't want to tiptoe around my pregnancy until we barely have time to listen to each other."

All the lightheartedness was suddenly gone, replaced by this cold void of fear that came whenever he thought of the baby. He had no idea what he wanted, or if he even had a right to want something that would be in contradiction with what _she_ wanted. It was her kingdom's legacy and her line at stake.

"Okay… Okay. Let's just… rip it off in one go like a band-aid."

Luna shifted back to stare up into his eyes with her mouth hanging open.

"What does that mean?!"

He lowered his head, his right fist shivering by his side.

"Nothing, I… I'm nervous about this. You'd been talking about having a family before we headed to the covenant…"

He didn't mean to sound accusatory, but it came out wrong, or maybe Luna heard it wrong, her shoulders drawing inward, eyes blinking too quickly. Her legs had folded in and she had made herself small on her side of the couch, as though she didn't want their bodies to touch in any way.

"I don't want to force you into anything, Noct, I thought you'd heard me back at the hospital when I said I didn't trick you, I genuinely thought it was safe, my cycle is…"

"Whoa, whoa, I never said you tricked me," he clarified, keeping his voice steady. "I… I simply feel like you've had a lot more time to ponder this question than I have. Having a kid is… I can barely protect you."

"It's not about being strong enough for it, parents all over the globe get overwhelmed..." she started.

"Luna, my brother hated me enough to have me exiled."

"What do you think our baby could do?!"

"I don't know! I don't know anything anymore. What you want, what I should want, what will happen if Ravus decides this baby is a danger for his throne."

"Not _this_ baby, Noct. Our baby," Luna told him, her right hand brushing her belly protectively as she spoke. "It's not only a potential heir for Lucis. It could be the next Oracle too."

"That's…"

"And what do you mean when you say you don't know what you _should_ want?!" she cut him off. "We're equals. If you want me to… abort or…" she almost shuddered at the thought and Noctis hated himself for putting her through this. He wanted to reassure her, but she was already going on. "You have a right to tell me. I never intended to control you and just because I'm a princess doesn't mean what I want comes first. We made that baby together…"

Tears welled up in her eyes and Noctis couldn't bear the distance anymore, shifting closer to scoop her in his arms, pulling her into his lap once more. This time she nestled closer, keeping one hand on her belly.

"I love you, Luna. I don't want to lose you."

"You're not losing me," she assured him. "I just need to know if you'd rather lose… Not lose, I don't want to guilt trip you. The timing's so wrong and we should have planned this, not…"

She was rambling and Noctis knew it could go on for a while if he let her.

"Luna, look at me, okay?"

He cupped her face with one hand, his right arm steadying her despite the pain burning in his nerves.

"I need to know what you want Luna. This is your body and your heir. I'm scared but you must know my mother died giving birth, don't you? We have all the technology and the potions in the world and… I see so many ways I could lose you."

"Noct, my heart already stopped once and I made it. I vowed to myself I wouldn't stop until my people were free of the oppression of the empire and while their fleet had taken a beating, I'm not done yet. I can't have someone else ruling on Tenebrae forever and I thought my line would surely end with me, but I always promised myself I wouldn't rest until…"

"Forget all that," Noctis asked her, holding her head with both hands now. "Say you're not going to be a queen, your life is yours and yours alone. You're simply Luna. What does Luna want?"

Her shivering gasp told him how hard it was to push her duties away even for a minute. She held on to his wrists, her breathing unsteady as a war waged inside of her. She could summon gods, take ships out of the sky and heal the scourge, but could she have a child on top of all of this?

"It's selfish…" she managed through clenched teeth.

"Be selfish, you've sacrificed enough. Tell me what you really want."

"I'd… I'd like to keep it," she confessed, unable to hold on to his eyes. "I don't know if I can be a good mother, I don't know if I can even keep it safe until our baby's born, but…"

"Luna…"

"It's not fair to you, Noctis."

How was he supposed to answer back with this knowledge and pretend he could brush off any external questions?

"How is it fair to you?" he shot back. "You said you couldn't have this baby now. Being a mother and saving the world is starting to feel like a lot."

"Well, I'm pregnant _now_. Would you rather wait? Maybe t… try again when the timing's better?"

"No. No, that would be wrong."

He wanted to hide in her arms, but her hands were on his face and her watery eyes found his.

"Noct, please, forget wrong or right. What do you want to do?"

Surprisingly, he had a dozen words ready and they tumbled out like a whirlwind as he held her tighter.

"I want to stop time and find an island where you'll be safe and away from harm until the Scourge runs out by itself."

"My dear, sweet prince. Can you give me a straight answer?"

"We can have the baby on an island, can we?" Noctis asked back, a sheepish look on his face.

She smiled through her tears.

"Is Lucis an island?"

"Shouldn't the next Oracle be born in Tenebrae?"

"That's too many questions, I'm still trying to get my hormones under control and… We're keeping the baby, right?"

"We are," he whispered, slowly realizing that making that decision together was taking away most of his fears. "We're having a baby," he repeated, hoping her smile would never leave and drying her tears before widening his eyes as he pretended a sudden realization was hitting him. "I need a raise."

"You…!"

He bent his neck to kiss her outrage silent, Luna hitting him in the chest playfully once or twice before giving in to savor his embrace, relishing the sense of freedom she suddenly felt.

"We'll get married after my rehab, I imagine?" he asked her between two kisses.

Luna froze, her lips remaining still under his and Noctis wondered if he'd sounded too casual.

"What?!"

"There's a royal heir growing inside of you and we can't let him be born out of wedlock, can we?"

"Are you proposing to me?" Luna couldn't help the disbelief in her voice.

"Well, unless it'd be bad for your image as the Oracle. I think people already suspect you have a thing for your bodyguard. I'd like for it to be exclusive."

"Oh my gods. You're not suggesting it out of obligation, right? I can't…"

"Nah, I'm just after the honeymoon and your money."

This time, her punch wasn't as light as the others, but he laid her down on the couch, his arms holding her as though she was the most precious thing in his life.

"I love you so much, Lunafreya. You're the moon to my night. The sun to my days. A magic all your own fixed the man you picked up by the road and now… I don't want to ever let go."

She gasped from the use of her full name, caught unprepared for such a confession. Her heart could have melted in her chest and she blinked furiously as she tried to accept the fact he was talking to her. Was she worth this kind of love? Was she worth this man?

"Noctis. I… I don't know what to say."

He smiled cockily at that, stroking the side of her face.

"You don't have to say anything. Not with words."

He kissed a lock of her hair, his nose following it as it fell down to her neck and his tongue on her skin made her gasp once more.

"Wait, Noct, I don't want Cindy or Prompto walking in on us."

"I missed you," he offered, adamant on stealing her breathe and voice for more kisses.

"And I want to marry you, but I can't accept your proposal like this."

He raised himself on his good arm at that, his smile shifting to pure joy.

"For real? I get to marry my boss?"

She giggled, ruffling his hair.

"I'm not your boss. I'm your partner. And you get to make me into an honest woman."

She smiled into his following kiss, whining against his mouth as they both felt a new hunger for each other. Except Noctis soon had to lean more weight onto her and couldn't help a moan of pain as his nerves begged for mercy.

"Damn arm…"

"You need some healing," Luna instantly offered.

"No, the doctors said no magic for you unless it was a question of life and death," he reminded her, bringing her on top of him to ease the pressure on his right arm.

Luna bit her lips, afraid she'd feel too heavy even though Noctis always told her it was preposterous.

"It's really hard to believe you're pregnant."

"Yeah, I haven't puked once. My appetite is gone most mornings, but I don't feel nauseous."

"Well, that's good. I'd rather you don't hate me for making you pregnant."

Luna tickled his ribs as a comeback to his teasing, kissing him gently once more before to lie with her head on his chest, wishing to listen to his heartbeat for a minute or two. The sound always reassured her and Noctis sighed in contentment as they snuggled closer.

"I'm not sure I'm up for more than cuddling if I'm honest."

"Even if I did all the work?" he teased her, cupping her ass appreciatively.

"This isn't how a prince should behave," she warned him, poking him on the nose for good measure before to turn more serious, "I don't want to rush as though either of us could die the next morning. Eos should be a lot safer now."

"I wonder how I can manage something even remotely as cool as what you did. You'll make such a badass mom."

"Any kid would be lucky to have you as a father. I know you'll do well. I mean, you can handle Prompto, surely you can handle an actual baby!"

…

Aranea had given coordinates to Ignis so they could meet. The trip to Altissia had taken a few days on a ferry and kept the former advisor in a dire state of seasickness. He could drive a car at speeds that defied the law when needed, he could read pretty much anywhere, and scale walls; but he was no seafarer. He crossed the city, surprised to meet women wearing large scarves or veils to cover their faces. He'd read rumors of it on his phone but hadn't expected it to be true.

It wasn't a fashion statement at this point but nearly an obsession. Hopefully, it would have helped Aranea in getting around, since he saw more than one picture of her on wanted posters. She might very well be the only surviving officer of her fleet. Ignis was extra cautious about not being followed, making his way to the outskirts of the city, down to a scrapyard which was hiding past two miles of swamp.

A few beasts lurked there, forcing the man to take out his polearm and he was sweaty when he finally made it out of the swamp, his suit covered with a wide range of stains he'd rather not identify right now. He took off his vest after a few steps into the junkyard, studying the piles of scraps for a sign. He hadn't spoken to a human being in the past 72 hours and was worried his imperial girl could have been found out in the time his travel took.

He'd never seen her ship, it took so long for Aranea to claim one for herself despite her office work, and there was no sign waiting for him. He made his way through the junkyard, careful of where he put his feet and wondering how bad his shoes would look by the time he'd be back in town. His hairstyle couldn't keep up with the sea wind, the humidity in the air and all the fights and he tried to salvage it somehow while keeping one hand free in case something popped out of nowhere.

"Are you trying to fix your hair?" a woman asked from across a pile of garbage, teasing in her voice.

"Aranea!"

Ignis dropped his hand, realizing his vanity and pride were getting the better of him to cover his anxiety at the idea of seeing her again. But what did it matter how either of them smelled or looked when they could be together? He'd seen her bloodied and broken a few times before escaping Niflheim. Right now, she was standing on her own two feet, wearing dark camo pants and a tank top revealing a bit more cleavage than was necessary. Her silver hair was drawn back in a lose ponytail, her hands bare and her arms covered with small cuts.

"You look taller," she commented, replacing a fallen lock behind one ear.

His throat was too tight to speak and he swallowed, trying to find a word of greeting that could convey all the longing he'd felt for the past several years. Instead he managed a fragile smile, his eyes eating her up, shining with reverence and a burst of love.

"No compliment for me?"

Her heels were flat and made almost no sound against the ground as she took a few steps forward. Her skewed gait was as he remembered it and Ignis wanted to crawl out of his skin if it meant standing closer to her but found himself frozen solid. He still had no idea where'd she come from, he had meant to see her for so long but now he wasn't sure where to start. At least, he found his voice this time.

"I don't see how commenting on my height is a compliment," he teased her back, hoping the awkwardness would dissipate soon. "How are you holding up?"

She winced, nearly missing a step and catching herself just as he was parting his arms open for her, shaking her head weakly.

"C…can we head to my ship first? Because if I break down now, I don't know…"

"Aranea, I… Bloody hell, I was overwrought with concerns for you for almost 7 years, and I can't embrace you now when I finally have you in front of me?!"

"You know I need walls around me," she defended herself, her shoulders heaving.

 _I want you around me._

Ignis coughed at the inappropriate thought and erased the space between them, trying to take in every little change, comparing the details he remembered to the one he might have forgotten. She had to bend her neck to look up at him and the feeling was strange. Seeing her looking so much smaller than him made every of his protective instincts spike up. He was afraid things had changed, afraid he wasn't welcome, because he knew that other men might have come into her life. How could he expect her to be faithful to a relationship that only brought her danger?

"I was afraid you'd stood me up," he confessed, his hands tentatively reaching for her waist.

Her hands found his first, Aranea taking a step back, wishing her tension away to no avail.

"I would have regretted it too much. But you don't get to hold me wearing that stained shirt."

 _Maybe that way my heart can regain a normal beat when you actually hold me._

"Fair enough."

Her palm was damp against his, but when she worried her upper lip, wondering if she should apologize about it, Ignis had already intertwined his fingers with hers.

"Lead the way?" he offered as they stood there, both still in awe at the simple idea they were in the same place, with no screens or codes between them.

"I thought you were running," she tried to tease him.

"Never from you. I should have run a long time ago. Hopefully, I'll prove worth the wait?"

She laughed, poking him in the side.

"Where do you keep that confidence? Last time I checked, you had learned every one of your bedroom performances with me."

"I was referring to my cooking skills, but you have a point. I need an extended revision regarding bedroom activities."

Aranea was glad to see the blush on his ears, because she didn't feel quite that confident even if she tried to show him otherwise. She squeezed his hand and smiled when he squeezed back. Holding hands with Ignis was so familiar, that very gesture was enough to calm most of her fears.

"You can drop the proper boy act."

"Proper man," he corrected her, bumping into her hips on purpose only to wrap an arm around her and settle her balance in his hold. "You shouldn't ask me that. I'll turn into some depraved horny teenager."

"I thought I'd said not to…"

But Ignis's patience was running thin and he leaned a kiss on her ear, Aranea finding herself wanting more.

"I missed you on the past 2553 nights," he whispered against her skin. "So I might be a little desperate."

"That's… that's one third charming, two thirds creepy, you know?"

"I apologi…"

"Oh for fuck's sake, Iggy, shut up and kiss me already."

He had never been so quick to oblige.

To be continued…

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I wonder what the next smut scene will be in this fic. XD I hope you liked this extensively long chapter. Dialog heavy, but fluff heavy too! :D I needed the fluff. My stress is going up and down so much lately.

Next chapter will contain Ignea and angst, because they're the very same. We'll also have silver/gold and hopefully more Noct/Luna, unless Ignis takes over the fic for a bit. Reviews make me happy!


	17. Pent up

We're back with smut, and angst, and fluff, and more angst. I hope you'll enjoy it. Ignea to start, a bit about Ravus, Iris and Gladio, and silver/gold to complete this chapter.

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Stranded

Chapter 16 – Pent up

Aranea had to pull him inside the airship, unbuttoning his shirt on the way in, Ignis forced to bend forward awkwardly to keep their lips locked together. It made for a strange angle, but neither of them were going to complain, the former dragoon yelping when he lifted her in his arms, the sleeves of his shirt barely shrugged off to the floor, the door locking behind them with a click.

"You're so eager," she giggled, which actually gave him pause.

"Too eager? I've tried running scenarios in my head for this reunion and now I can't think properly."

"I like when you stop thinking," Aranea reassured him, her fingers following the muscles of his chest, grazing a nipple with her nails.

"I wanted to have a proper talk with you," he managed through clenched teeth.

"You can talk to me now," she encouraged him.

But it was hard to talk and kiss her at the same time.

Some of their exchanges had been downright dirty talks, Aranea finding a way to spell codes in pretty much any subject and Ignis had to admit he'd liked the thrill of being naughty when everyone looked at him as such a straight-laced guy.

His hands were greedy on her skin, his fingers mapping her shivers and few shudders, running down her sides, pulling on her tank top to free her breasts, kissing a path down her cleavage, teasing one nipple while trying to steady her. Her fingers were all over his scalp, eliciting throaty whines from him as her legs clenched around his upper waist.

"Where's your bed?"

"Who needs beds? You can hold me against a wall," she directed him.

Ignis had barely checked his surroundings upon entering, too focused on the lady who was finally in his arms. He wanted to ask her how she'd really been those past 7 years, he wanted to shower her in love and bliss until she begged for mercy, but he wasn't sure where to start.

"I want to have a good look at…"

"Nah, what you want right now is…"

"All of you, naked and wet under my fingertips?" he cut her off, effectively making her flush a few shades more.

"Iggy!"

"Push me and I'll bite," he teased her, kissing her chin and lower lip, crushing her between him and the nearest wall.

Her gasp was not good this time and he backed away, surprised to feel her holding on to him even tighter. In fact, she wanted to escape the overly heated sheet of metal.

"That… that one's… too warm. East wall is insulated," Aranea explained herself.

He held her a little more delicately this time, his apologies shushed by her mouth back on his.

"Stupid Nifs and their obsession for metal," he muttered as they looked for air.

"I resent that," she warned, biting on his upper lip before to soothe the pain with her tongue.

Ignis parted from her long enough to spot the east wall and couldn't helped the question that followed.

"How solid is that table?"

He gently sat her on the very edge of said furniture, pressing into her impatiently, but keeping most of her weight on him.

"It's… okay I guess? Don't nibble on…Oh shit!"

His hair brushed against her neck as he followed an invisible path back to her left breast, relishing every sound she made. There were a few bumps on her otherwise unblemished skin, but he knew lingering on them right now would make her self-conscious. It had been so hard on their last time together, acknowledging the both of them were finally on the edge of adulthood and that their friendship had shifted to romantic love.

"Someone's sensitive," he observed.

"I wonder how quickly you'd lose it if those pants came off."

"Patience is a virtue, and it shall be handsomely rewarded."

"Oh please, no talking as though I was one of your scholarly public. Major turn off."

"What would turn you on?"

Aranea smiled wickedly.

"I can ask for anything?"

"Anything possible with what I have on right now," he offered.

"Well, I'd rather you take off a few layers."

Ignis took his glasses off with a smile, dropping them on the table a little more recklessly than he would normally ask.

"How's this for starters?"

She pulled on his waistband, undoing the buckle of his belt in a brief struggle, Ignis pulling the waistband of her pants down, Aranea shifting so he could help her out of the garment. His hands were immediately on her thighs, his mouth kissing a spot next to her navel.

"Ig…"

"Let me taste you, then every layer can come off," he promised, his voice hungry with need.

She was so flushed when their eyes met, Ignis pulling one of her legs over his shoulder, his fingers teasing her entrance as he lowered himself in a kneeling position to properly ravish her. She did tense at first, but he alternated between kisses, light brushes and just enough pressure to drive her to the edge. Every touch was loving, and his eyes came back up to look at her constantly, needing her assent whenever he pushed her just a little further.

Her fingers in his hair and her panted moans were all the encouragement he needed.

Aranea had never been vocal during their time together, her need of garnering no attention from superior officers too deeply ingrained in her, but the very way Ignis held on to her was enough to melt her heart.

"Can you slow down?" she asked through a whine.

He talked against her skin "like this?", his voice reverberating too deep inside and she shuddered when his tongue started moving again.

"Shit, Ignis, I…!"

Her hands tugged on his hair a tad too hard and he could sense a mix of fear and amazement in her trembling voice. His fingers took over, slow at first before to turn her shivers back into outright shudders, his smile cocky as he looked up to her.

"Don't hold back, last time was fireworks, but now…"

He wanted to make up for all this time apart and the horrors she most certainly had been through since their last meeting in real life.

Her hips were almost thrashing in her urge to find release and Ignis indulged her, bringing her to a violent climax and a low scream. He could hardly breathe, intoxicated with her scent and eager for more of those adorable sounds.

"That was… Gods, I can't remember the last time it felt this good," she confessed.

Aranea cupped his face, just about ready to plead for his arms around her, but Ignis frowned as he slowly got back to his feet.

"Was I _that_ bad?" he tried to joke.

"No, it's not you, it's…"

She paused, her eyes widening as she realized what he could surmise just from this tidbit, tensing once more and this time, his primal need was overshadowed by fears Ignis could barely face.

"I thought you'd said…" his voice faltered and Aranea shook her head, wishing she could take it back.

"What matters is how amazing you make me feel, Ignis," she assured him, her hands falling on his shoulders. "I know I'm damaged goods, but…"

He instantly stroked her bad leg, his throat tightening as he pictured her between other men's arms.

"There's nothing damaged. I just… Why did you let me leave you there if they were using you like that?!"

"Because I can look after myself and I can endure a lot more than you think. I'm a woman in an army, Iggy, it's… The soldiers are told to take what they want so they take it. I fought back and won sometimes and lost some other times, it's not…"

"How can you say…? It's a hell of a big deal!"

Aranea almost whimpered as she tried to talk sense into him. The last thing she wanted was to lose him over this.

"They're gone now. It's in the past and I'm yours alone."

He wanted to ask who they'd been, what they'd done, if the assaults had taken place during those extended breaks she marked in their exchanges. He wanted to hunt the men responsible for hurting her and make sure they'd never raise a hand to her again, but right now, Aranea needed to know he still loved her.

"Tell me I haven't been treating you like they…?"

"Iggy, please…! Just hold me tight. You've always been different. I love you and you make me feel loved and cherished, even with oceans between us."

 _Why did I ever leave her? I nearly got Noctis killed, I followed that…_

"I'm sorry, Nea, I'm so sorry, I should have…"

He lifted her off the table, stroking her hair and back as he held her, Aranea shaking her head and laying soft pecks on his chin, her hands as gentle as a feather on his skin.

"We both did our jobs to keep as many people alive as we…"

"Please resent me. I should have been here, I should have protected…"

"Ignis, it had started far before you left Nifhleim the first time. There were reasons why I was so skittish at first when we last saw each other."

Which meant he was never able to protect her, like he hadn't protected his mother. Or Noctis. Or Gladio.

His face crumbled, his breathing growing faster and harsher, his whole frame shaking. He still found the strength to carry her over to the second room of the airship, thanking the gods her bed was there for him to drop himself upon, cushioning her own fall on the low mattress with his body, holding her closer, sobs threatening to take over his voice.

"I wanted you safe, Nea, I always… I'm sorry," he repeated himself, unable to find any words that expressed his despair better.

"It's in the past, Iggy, we don't have to go there. I never mentioned it because I was afraid you'd turned too soft with me."

He could imagine she had a dozen other fears, since their relationship had felt quite precarious with the distance and the time between them, even though they always talked to each other with the same longing. But now she was here, holding him in her arms, welcoming him as though they'd last seen each other a few weeks ago, not years. A shuddering breath escaped his throat and he shook his head, the trembling taking over.

"I don't know what good I did in Lucis anymore, I should have been with you, we should have run together…"

"It's okay, Ignis, we've always promised each other not to look back."

Aranea hated regrets almost twice as much as him and he knew better than to linger on a past that couldn't be changed. Her hands were in his hair, holding his head and he couldn't fight his need to curl into a ball next to her, hiding his face between her arms.

"I know for a fact Noctis was innocent when I chased him out of Lucis. I threatened my best friend, I left you in the hands of monsters and never had a clue… I…"

A whimper came out, a brief shudder of sound, low and broken as his chest shook with every new whimper that followed. All the mistakes he'd refused to look at, all the time he'd wanted to run off and back to her so he could feel complete again. To think she'd been used all this time, that she'd been…

"Iggy, please…"

"I'm sorry. I wanted to wait until I'd make you smile more, I thought I was fine, I thought _you_ were fine…"

"I'm fine now, Iggy, I swear, just…" He sobbed against her skin and she couldn't help the tears falling down her cheeks, her arms holding him closer, her voice shifting to a lulling sound. "Shh, we'll be okay, all we need is time."

All he could answer back was her name and it nearly broke her heart, because even when he'd needed comfort back in Nifelheim, he hadn't felt so fragile. But her Iggy who was strong and always had a comeback had seen too much pain and held it down for too long. He'd missed something for his entire life, be it his home, his friends, his mother, his freedom, or even her. Especially her.

More sorries wanted to come out, but Aranea held him through his sobs, kissing the top of his hair and keeping him together somehow just with her very presence. When he finally regained control over his breathing and dared to shuffle backward so he could look into her eyes, the tears he saw brought a new apology out.

"I should be the one comforting you…"

"Or we could just comfort each other," she suggested. "I was so afraid you'd run away if you'd learned…"

He sniffled, biting into his lower lip as he tried to keep himself from yelling in outrage. She was so strong, so proud and independent and for all these years…

"You know what happened to my mother. I never saw her differently for it."

"But I'm not your mother. I… I'm not a slut for the army, it's not like I…"

They were both on the verge of tears again and Aranea desperately wanted to hide herself, her arms shivering as she pulled away from him to cover up her breasts and hold herself. Ignis cupped her face, drying a few tears with his thumb, brushing her forehead and the tip of her nose in the way that would usually make her laugh. She tried to smile, but the fears she'd had all this time were taking over.

"No, Aranea, I don't think that. I will never… You're beautiful and you should be treated like a human being and not a tool, I just wish I could have protected you somehow."

"I tried to have it stop," she defended herself, even though it was the last thing he could have asked from her. "I tried, but they have the rules on their side and I've regretted not following you in Lucis when you offered. I had my recruits counting on me. And my strategies still saved us a lot of casualties. If I had left, Loqi might have taken my place and that brat…"

"That moronic prick."

This effectively made her laugh through her tears and since they were both crying, Arenea offered him a tissue, as undignified as it sounded. Blowing their noses and drying their tears actually helped them both in finding some peace again.

"I'm sorry I reacted this way."

"Are you kidding me?!" Aranea could have punched some sense into him if he hadn't been lying this close to her. "You kept holding me and it was what I needed. I'm sorry I kept it from you. Everything I have with you is different. Your touches, your warmth."

He paled slightly, struggling to find his words.

"It doesn't… scare you?"

"Ignis, I have needs despite… If we're talking Nifs, I get as much action as a hole on a wall in the bad…"

He wasn't ready to hear her crude words if it concerned this and he gripped her shoulders a bit too strongly, as if to remind himself she was really here next to him.

"Shit, Aranea, I can't…!" he cut her off, unable to finish his sentence. "If you want to talk about it, I'll do everything I can to simply listen, but right now, picturing it makes me want to kill someone."

"Silly knight. We'll have people to kill before you know it. General Glauca is still at large."

Ignis's eyes turned dark at the name. He wanted to ask if the general had been one of her abusers, since it sounded like there was more than one, but he doubted his ability to deal with the knowledge. If she were to refuse giving him names, it would mean only one thing. That he knew the men who…

"You're really not disgusted by me?"

"Were you listening to anything I said earlier?!"

Aranea blushed and leaned forward, her lips tentative on his and the touch bloomed into a light kiss, feathery brushes she turned into gentle nibbling. Ignis almost felt shy now, but her warm skin brushing against his and the soft whine she made were enough to convince him she wasn't forcing herself. If anything, she was almost more eager than when they'd first kissed, holding onto him possessively, her voice throaty when she asked him to relax and stop thinking.

"You're going to drive me crazy," he sighed, squeezing her waist as they both looked for air.

"That was my goal. Do you have any idea what all those sweet words did to me when we were playing enamored teenagers?"

He chuckled and kissed her on the cheek, following the tug of her hands on his hair to kiss a path down her jaw and to her neck.

"It was never a play, you know?"

"I do. For someone who keeps so many secrets, you're quite sincere."

"You have no idea how good it feels to be myself around you," he whispered in between nuzzling her neck, his nose brushing against her collarbone.

"I know you feel good," she told him, biting her lips at how corny it sounded.

"Just good?"

Her hands explored his chest a little more thoroughly, following a path down his abs and when she cupped him through the fabric of his pants to find him half-erect, she smiled into the kiss.

"Make love to me?"

He flushed, much to his own embarrassment, the hesitation clear in his eyes.

"I… Are you certain?"

"I'd prefer things to be fair. And I must confess… Knowing you still want me reassures me."

He choked down a sob and swallowed, hard.

"My desire for you can never tarnish," he promised, kissing her a tad more roughly this time. "I love you so much… Talk me through it? What you want, how you want… I need to make up for 7 years apart."

"Very well, Ignis Scientia," she teased him, helping him out of his pants. "I'm a puzzle and you complete me. I've been waiting to be fixed for a very long time."

"I fix you, you fix me?" Ignis suggested, running his hands over her hips as her legs parted for him.

"I love you, Iggy. Hold me close."

He repeated her name like a prayer, his fingertips ghosting new shivers and his lips drying the few tears that threatened to come out when his left arm wrapped around her frame.

It felt different, because they both felt broken for different reasons, but it was soft, gentle and caring and exactly what they needed. A reconnection and a chance to leave no space in between for doubts or distance. All they had to share was love. All they needed was each other.

Ignis was found and Aranea knew she finally belonged. This was their freedom. And for the first time in their lives, it was going to last.

…

Iris was holding him and if it wasn't for her arms he might have forgotten to breath in between the sobs. Questions haunted him, but he had no idea which one he should ask or if he even had a right to ask any of them.

"What… happened to my dad?"

"Ardyn stabbed him," Iris whispered in Ravus's ears, a shiver running through her as his breathing hacked with strong sobs. "Ardyn said… he said he needed him alive…"

"By the gods…"

The young prince cried himself to exhaustion, despite Iris trying to get him back to his feet, her brother keeping guard, but giving them space, hoping his anger would drop to something more manageable. When the sobs calmed down, Ravus's head lying in Iris's lap, she realized he was out cold, the successive beating and the very idea of his father fighting for his life because of his questionable decisions getting the better of him. Gladiolus had to carry him on his shoulder and drop him unceremoniously on his chocobo so they could ride to the nearest camping ground. Iris begged her brother to be more careful of the Lucian heir, to no avail.

"How can you still defend him?!"

"I love him. He might be flawed and I don't approve of his actions, but he came clean to me when he could have just kept the pretense."

"The fact he has one or two ounces of decency doesn't change his decisions," Gladio observed, stirring his bird into a gallop.

Ravus was precariously balanced on the mount's back, between the saddle and the bird's neck, a haphazard mix of limbs and bruises that kept slipping left and right. Iris grit her teeth as she pictured how sore he would feel when he would finally wake up. To think he had stopped fighting back entirely, accepting every punch and kick because of the shame and guilt.

"What happened with the royal arm?"

"He couldn't collect it," Iris explained simply, her voice tired with the emotional toll of the day. "Noctis might have stopped by after his exile."

"I'm glad he did. It's… I can't remember half the shit I told him. I'm so going to need a drink."

"Me too," Iris sighed.

The silence that followed made her realize just how shaken her brother was. He wouldn't worry about her being underage, his only objection might very well be the fact Ravus could be around her while she got herself drunk. But for tonight, they would remain sober and miserable, since they had to worry about daemons before looking for ways to alleviate their state of mind.

"What will we do?" the young girl asked.

"Well, we can't go back to Insomnia after visiting a single royal tomb," Gladiolus declared. "And Ravus needs a few more reality checks. Living in the wild with no one to pamper him, that includes you, sis, should teach him a lesson."

They finally reached a camping ground and quickly got to work to set up camp, Iris focusing on the food with what little things she had in her few packs, Gladiolus setting up their only tent. A check to his phone comforted him that Ignis had left most of their packages in Hammerhead, which meant they would travel more comfortably as soon as they reached the station.

Ravus woke up at some point, but he kept to himself, wallowing in shame with a few potions Iris had bullied into his hands. The Amicitia's siblings sat elbow to elbow on one side of the fire, Ravus hiding with the birds as he licked his wounds and wondered how he could piece back together his pride.

Iris and Gladio barely talked, whispering to each other.

"I can't believe Ignis left," she said.

"Makes you realize how blind we all were, huh? I thought we were friends, but he had always been closer to Noct. Ever since his time in Niflheim, Ig had been feeling out of place and I was too busy working to fully notice it. Or to try and get him to feel more at home."

Iris gulped down nervously, running one hand through her hair. Ignis was a good man and a great friend, but he had remained guarded even around her and it was always hard to tell what he was thinking. Growing up, Gladiolus had a few friends among the crownsguards and even the Glaives he'd started commanding not so long ago, but the one person he'd always trusted for advices was Ignis Scientia. And in the span of a few minutes, he'd lost any respect for his future king, learned his father might very well be in danger, that his sister had been threatened, that his actual King was a wounded captive and his only remaining friend had walked away…

"If Noctis is innocent," Iris started, "…don't you think Ignis will bring him back here to right the whole situation? He's never been one to stand for injustice."

"Yeah, and he's never been one to threaten someone like he did with your rave-prince. I wonder if I even know the guy anymore!"

"Ravus or Ignis?"

"Both!" he groaned before jumping to his feet.

"Are you going somewhere?"

"I need to kill something. It feels wrong to leave you with that prick."

"Gladio, I'll be fine. Don't leave, okay? It's dangerous at night and I.. We shouldn't leave Ravus alone right now, I'm scared he'll do something careless."

The Shield rolled his eyes at that, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That brat is really starting to get on my nerves, but you're right. I'll go check on him."

"Let me," Iris offered, having a suspicion that Gladio's check-up might not be quite as nice as hers.

They were in for a rough trip.

…

Prompto had been snapping pictures of Altissia as they walked around, insisting that since people were actually smiling again and with the exotic feel of veiled ladies everywhere, the city had regained most of its charm.

Of course, there were broken bridges and traces left from the various raids the empire had done, but things were already being reconstructed. The gunman had wanted to join the effort, excited by the idea of participating into building something instead of destroying it, but his help had been rejected on account of his origins. Cindy watched over him as he photographed people, taking their numbers when they asked for a copy of their picture, promising he didn't want money or anything. Just the pleasure of being treated like a normal human being who could bring smiles upon faces was enough for him. And as every little pleasure he'd managed to find, that one couldn't last either.

A kid grabbed his hat while he was kneeling to take a picture of a square with a fountain and a few stands, his blond hair coming into view. With all the unrest in the city, it wasn't rare to meet officers from lady Camelia patrolling and two of them spotted the clone instantly. The rescuers had found a dozen of men looking exactly like Prompto among the mechanical MTs, and the few fallen soldiers.

"When did you get out of the hospital?" the tallest of the two inquired as he strode up to the pair of blonds.

At least they didn't sound angry at him this time.

"I… I'm not with the empire," Prompto answered, slowly standing back up and gripping his camera a bit too strongly.

Cindy stepped in, her right hand falling on his shoulder to offer him her support..

"Just scan his arm, you'll see the code isn't on the list. He's with the Oracle."

She knew Prompto hated this procedure, but he was a clone here too now and might always be nothing more than that once again. He lifted his sleeve and offered his tattooed arm to the officers, trying to unsee the few pointing fingers and curious looks thrown his way.

 _Freak, freak, freak, freak._

Cattle was scanned, not people.

"Let's see here. Okay, that sounds alright. How long are you staying in Altissia?"

"A few more months? It depends on my employer."

It had been Lunafreya's decision to protect Prompto by telling the press she had enrolled him after he'd defected. The Oracle had thus been known for working with war criminals, murdering princes and an assortment of misfits according to the tabloids.

" _If it can protect you, I don't care what people will say. You've been loyal when you had no reason to, you were hurt for Noctis's and my sake. It's the least I can do," Luna had told him when he'd panicked at the idea he could cause her trouble from this hasty decision._

Prompto liked to kid around and joke and tease, but deep down, he was a lost child looking for somewhere to belong and all the scanning, questioning and constant harassing because of his looks was digging deep in his old fears.

"Do you mind if I…?" The second officer started asking, motioning to his still raised arm.

Cindy couldn't hold back her disgruntled sigh at that. Every officer would scrape at his skin to make sure the tattoo didn't contain added lines to fit into a different code from the list of clone prisoners. Prompto simply shrugged, gritting his teeth, wanting to run away more than anything but staying still.

Luna had put her reputation in danger to protect him. The least he could do was agree to the check-ups, no matter how humiliating it was. His skin was a really light shade of pink and his ears burned when the officers finally let go of him, and Cindy held his hand, squeezing his fingers in the hope it would help him regain his smile. He was quick to spot a quieter street and led her down there, wishing to head back to their hotel suite and hide away from prying eyes. Or any eyes at all.

"It doesn't get old, huh?"

"I think it does," Cindy objected. "They need to stop this nonsense, we can't paint on your face, _works for Lunafreya_."

"But she could have me tattoo her name somewhere, or her family's emblem. This way, people would get that I'm her property and not that of the empire anymore."

"Prom…"

"I meant that as a joke," he tried to defend himself.

"You've made funnier ones."

They lowered their voices as they passed a few shady people who paid them no mind and Cindy couldn't help her smile as Prompto stood a tiny bit taller next to him. She didn't need his protection, but it was endearing how naturally it came to him. Maybe was that why she felt different around him. He respected her and it wasn't simply because she was friends with Lady Lunafreya, because he most certainly didn't treat Luna the same way. He would protect the princess, there was no doubt about it, but he wouldn't inch closer to her when she looked sad and try to hold her.

 _Because she is a princess to him. You're approachable._

All these thoughts of what if I was another person that she could entertain were something quite foreign to him. He was another person and no one at the same time. She'd seen how he evaded mirrors and refused to stand in the lenses of his camera ever since the clones had resurfaced in his life. One night, he'd asked her if she'd prefer his hair different and when she'd fumbled with his pale looks, telling him she liked them just as they looked, he'd almost cried.

Somehow, he was still looking for himself and Cindy recognized herself in such a quest. They neared a busier street and at his clear hesitation, the mechanic removed her veil and wrapped it around his head like a lose scarf.

"That has to look so weird," he chuckled.

"A lot of guys are starting to walk around with veils," Cindy objected. "Everyone wants to help their savior."

Despite every bad thing that were being said about her, Lunafreya had undeniably saved Altissia from the ongoing raids and most certainly doomed the empire. The heavy loss had slowed Aldercapt's army and sightings of general Glauca in Lucis had been telling of only one thing. The general was alone. No unit, not even a soldier, nor a ship.

"Well, thanks for helping me hide," he sheepishly said.

"Don't scratch your head, you'll mess the veil. And you're welcome."

They had left with the goal to find a few components for Cindy's ship and after a few more hours of errands, Prompto not slipping back into picture snapping, the pair ended up inside the small airship, Prompto carrying a few pounds of metal on his shoulder and dropping them unceremoniously on the main cabin's floor.

"Careful!"

"I'm sorry, but it's hot under that thing."

He removed the veil and his jacket, wishing the temperature was more stable. With Gralea and the labs, he was more used to cold and looking for his warmth, but despite the marine air, Accordo was surprisingly warm at this time of the year.

"I need these in the machine room. Then you can relax while I work."

"I like the sound of that," he smiled, a twinkle in his eyes suggesting he'd be watching over her every move while she worked if she permitted it.

"Help. Now."

"Yes. Boss."

They laughed and hurried to the machine room, Cindy turning on a fan as she got to work and soon forgetting that Prompto was even sitting around, too engrossed by the repair and maintenance. It was really amazing how much she changed in attitude when she was in her element. This was her domain, she knew exactly what to do and even if she struggled with a few bolts and screws, she always won over the little pieces of metal. Prompto was downloading the pictures into his phone and sending them to the respective people who had asked for them, smiling whenever he received a small thank you in reply. He had always loved pictures and paintings as a child, often getting scolded for staring at some poster for too long. One time, he'd been allowed inside the emperor's fortress, only to test the barcode on his arm on the new locks and he'd eluded his father an instant, losing himself in the fortress and finding a small museum with all the empire's art collection. They'd found him contemplating a painting with amazement in his eyes and to this day, he was convinced the following punishment had been worth it.

All those colors were mesmerizing in his black and white world.

Cindy hmphed in exertion and as he looked up to her, Prompto realized she'd shrug off the top her mechanic overall, revealing her sport bra.

"Now that's… a sight to behold," he commented.

"What? Oh, I'm sweating, can't you smell it?!"

"Not from over here," he teased, standing up and trying to appear aloof as he made his way up to her.

"Gross! Stay where you are Prompto, I wasn't trying to entice you or…"

"It sounds like you need help though."

His voice had softened, and Cindy was only opposed to his help because of her pride by then, jumping a little as she pushed on her tool, the bolt she was trying to dislodge finally coming off.

"There, I don't…"

Prompto wrapped his arms around her, his breathing ghosting her neck, whispering against her skin.

"I don't want to interrupt your work, but maybe you should take a break. I honestly want a hug."

"It sounds a bit dirtier than that."

His hands immediately went back to her waist, because making her uncomfortable was the last thing he wanted to do. It was Cindy who initiated most of their intimacy, and they hadn't gone past the fumbling through clothes and making out like teenagers stage yet, even though his room was pretty much her room by now. He brushed his cheek against her shoulder like a cat and Cindy remembered the look on his face when he'd been answering to the officers earlier.

"Well, are your hands oily? Cause then I'd rather you'd…"

"I'm wearing gloves when I work," she cut him off, dropping said gloves to run one hand along his face.

"You smell like oil, I wonder if your skin taste like metal."

It was meant as a joke, but there was something fragile beneath his words and Cindy wondered how fair their relationship was. Not only to him, but to her, the overly self-conscious mechanic who always pretended otherwise because showing weakness only reminded her of the past.

"Think this scrap-body o' mine can give you some comfort?"

"Cin…" he started, his voice and hands unsure now. She turned around in his arms, looking for his eyes and finding them so lost and full of doubts… "You're not scrap."

"My meaning was that… I'm damaged too, Prom," Cindy explained herself. "So, you don't have to be scared about how you feel about yourself. I get it."

He might have objected, but she rose on her tiptoes to kiss him, her hands on his shoulders, her body pressed flushed against his and it was over with doubt once more. All he could do was hold her head, stroking her hair and back with reverence like he always did.

"You should be a tad more aggressive," she encouraged him. "I'm not made out of wood."

"Careful. I don't want to go overboard with you."

"Why?"

"Too precious," he managed, kissing her a little more fiercely.

"Don't be too sweet now."

It was hard to know how he was supposed to be when no other women had ever treated him like this. She allowed closeness, she allowed touching and stroking and… She just allowed him to stay around her and that was amazing.

"Tell me it's not pity," Prompto asked her.

"If I kissed every guy I pitied…"

"But wouldn't you rather be with someone that don't ask something like that?"

"Before you, I didn't want to be with anyone, assertive or not."

He lifted her in his arms at that, her legs wrapping around his waist, her hands under his shirt, drawing shivers from him as he struggled with the elastic band of her bra. And her breathing mingling with his, her voice moaning here and there, how welcome she made him feel just by the way she was holding him… It was too much and the words he'd started thinking were blurted out between two kisses.

"I love you, Cin."

She tensed up against him, her swollen lips still as he nibbled on her neck, her heart feeling cold and her hands back on top of his shirt, pushing against his chest. His thumb was brushing the underside of one breast and she wanted more of his touch, she wanted actual touch for once, but her brain was electrified.

"You love…? You can't… Put me down!"

Her legs slid down his hips, Prompto forced to lower her back to the floor and staring back at her wild eyes, feeling a new fear swelling in his gut.

"What do you mean, I can't? Is that… is that so unbelievable?! I've never felt that way about anyone. I like like you. I love you. It's genuine and…"

Her chest was moving up and down too fast and she'd raised her hands in self-defense as she took a step back, her back hitting an engine which was thankfully cold and shut down at the moment.

"Stop," she ordered him, her eyes looking through him as though she was seeing something else. "Stop, I'm not... This is… was comfort, just to take our minds off, I didn't mean…"

"You said you wanted to be with me," he reminded her, his voice almost breaking before he could finish his sentence.

"Like, in this moment right now, not… I'm a quick fix, not the type of girl who…"

"Bullshit! Cindy, we've been flirting and cheering each other up and I thought… I _knew_ we were friends. We messed around with limits, but you seemed to care about me, so I…"

"It was pity! Pity for myself, pity for how sad your story is, I can't…"

She crossed her arms, holding herself, not even trying to put order in her clothes or to hide her left breast peeking out, her eyes shifting from warm to cold, her head shaking.

"That's… You don't have to love me back, you don't even have to like me, I know what I am, I won't say it again if…"

His voice shattered, and he wanted to throw himself out a window, to punch the wall, to scream and make her realize how much her words had hurt, how much healing she was undoing with just her rejection. But she had this hunted animal look in her eyes and he wasn't sure what he'd triggered.

 _Freak, freak, freak, freak, you can't even do this right._

"No. No, I can't do this," Cindy almost whimpered. "You're nice, Prom, I don't…"

That snapped him out of his self-misery as he remembered every time she'd felt fragile. How nice attentions scared her or brought her guard up. Was she lashing out of here? How could his mind still work when he felt so broken inside?

"It's not because of my face or the barcode, is it?" she nodded, shaking a little more. "So why, Cindy?"

 _If he loves me, I'll have to tell him. I'll have to let him in and what he'll see inside will be worse than how horrible I am to him now._

"Get out. Please."

"This is not fair, Cin, I…"

"Don't call me Cin again!"

It was sweet coming from him, she'd always fought against her fear for the nickname for Luna's sake, for everyone's sakes. But she was failing. She wanted to cover herself up, she wanted to hide, she needed his eyes to leave her be, she needed the wall around her heart back up and strong enough to resist.

He physically recoiled at that her new outburst, looking away from her eyes, wishing for his voice to muster a sound, for his shoulders to stand out, to look strong and like he could take it. But he couldn't…

Her phone rang then, making them jump and after hesitantly checking who it was -like there were that many options anyway…- she whispered, "it's Luna."

"Hey, no need to take pity on me once more," Prompto hissed. "I'll walk myself out."

Cindy took it in stride, pinching her cheeks as she answered in the hope physical pain would help her sound normal.

"Hey, what's up?"

"I couldn't wait until you got back here, Cindy, we're keeping the baby! And Noct just proposed!"

She had never sounded quite this excited and the mechanic mentally grit her teeth. Of course things would turn out so well for Luna. After everything she'd been through, she needed a reprieve.

"That's amazing, girl…"

"Yes, it's… Wait, Cindy, are you okay?"

 _I'm a horrible person._

She fought against her own tears as she heard the door to the engine room closing shut behind Prompto and bit her tongue to refrain from gasping as everything that just happened dawned on her.

"I'm fine. So happy for you. Noct even proposed?"

Why did these guys have to be timed with their feelings? Why did she have to let her past take over her reasons and sabotage herself once again?

 _It wasn't your fault then, but it's your fault now._

"Cin…"

The princess sounded so worried and Cindy hated herself for bursting her bubble.

"Please, don't call me that, Luna. We'll come back as soon as we can, need to celebrate this!"

"What…"

"We can talk tonight, get back on your little cloud, please, I don't want to make you worry. You're earned being happy."

Luna accepted not to dig any further on the phone, asking her to be careful and stay well. Cindy swallowed back her tears to head out and yelped as she found Prompto waiting for her by the entrance. He'd found his jacket and a spare hat to cover his hair and was studying his barcode when she walked out, replacing his sleeve slowly but not looking up at her.

"What's up with our royals?"

His tone was barely warm and her guilt rose.

"Good news about them actually," Cindy tried to get her voice to sound casual. She had no idea what would be better for him now. She wanted to burst into sobs and hide in a corner until the whirlwind of emotions inside had died down. "Noctis is going to be a dad."

That had the gunman looking up, eyes red but wide with surprise.

"The Oracle's pregnant? That mad bed piston knocked her up?"

Cindy was tempted to slap him for his insolence, but Prompto was gesturing to her clothes and she blushed at the realization she was still indecent. She quickly fixed it, zipping up her suit after struggling her arms into the sleeves, not waiting to be done to chide him.

"Good lords, don't say that in her face! They're having a baby and I'm certain Luna will do her best to keep it a secret until it starts showing. Noctis proposed to her…"

"Shit. Guess princes have a protocol to follow when stuff like that happens."

She rolled her eyes at him, even though she still wanted to cry and Prompto offered her a frail version of his cheeky smile.

"That has to mean I can drown my senses in alcohol with the daddy-to-be. Ready to leave?"

"I can go on my own, you don't have to…"

"I'd rather you'd occupy Luna when we get there," Prompto explained himself before to scratch the back of his head. "But I can leave on my own if you'd rather not be seen around…"

"No! Let's… let's go."

It was an awkward walk out of the airship, Prompto not sure how to act around her and Cindy wishing she could turn invisible for a minute. Their shoulders brushed as they tried getting through the main door at the same time and she had never felt anyone pull away from her quite this fast. By the time they were within sight of the hotel they shared with Luna, Cindy had to dab at her eyes with her veil, trying to get her emotions under control.

 _You've crushed Prompto, don't ruin Luna's day._

"You're going to be an aunt," the gunman told her. "Do that kid a favor and don't throw him in the sea if he ever says he loves you."

To be continued…

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Well this chapter ended up longer than my usual. And Prompto and Ignis took over lol. I hope you liked this angst-fest.

Next chapter, we'll see Noct/Luna, Ignea and ignoct bromance 😊 and also promptis bromance and heavy friendship fluff. They certainly need it!


	18. It's your loss

A new chapter! I've been having some difficulties writing lately, my moral is going through ups and downs, so the updates on every of my stories will remain sporadic for a bit. Today's chapters is a lot of hurt/comfort and bromance, with a bit of Noct/Luna and some fluffy/smutty Ignea. I'll try to keep the focus on Noctis and Luna for the next few chapters, but I love my Iggy, so bear with me. 😉

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Stranded

Chapter 16 – It's your loss

Prompto's face was a big smile to congratulate the royals about their good news, but Noctis and Luna were already worried from the brief phone call Luna had exchanged with Cindy. Something was wrong, and they were going to get to the bottom of it.

"You girls stay here while we'll hit a few bars," Noctis decided, halting Luna's protests with a fierce kiss that left her breathless and deeply flushed.

"You promise you'll come back to tell me goodbye before heading to the center?"

"I will. Prompto here will get drunk in my stead so I can bring us both back in one piece."

Cindy was quiet, almost invisible and Luna knew her friend needed more than girl talk. She almost wanted to call out her light to ease both of the blonds' hearts because they looked quite miserable despite how much they were trying to smile and be happy for them.

"I'm calling dibs on the godfather title," Prompto declared. "I know I'll be supposed to cover your little monster in gifts, but you mostly need someone that will keep his cool around a needy child and I can handle kids."

"Where did you get that experience?" Luna mused.

"I have a few hundred clones. That's a _lot_ of siblings."

They did laugh with him since he was earnest in his teasing and didn't look quite down about it and the guys parted from the girls promising to be good, Luna insisting to hug Prompto before they left. She didn't lose a minute turning to Cindy to ask her what had happened, and the mechanic let herself sank into the couch, shoulders hunching, running both hands through her hair.

"I messed up with Prompto. He… He basically decided to get in sync with Noct and confessed, and I panicked."

Luna looked at her with rounder eyes but said nothing, silently encouraging her to continue.

"We've been fooling around a bit, testing the waters. He's cute and he makes me feel good and you know I usually prefer to keep guys at bay."

Luna simply nodded, shifting closer to her friend to hold her hand as she went on. She knew Cindy had been through a pretty shitty childhood and there were traumas her friend had never been willing to share before. She also knew that Cindy had never been in any serious relationship before, since engagement and intimacy made her uncomfortable. Seeing her growing closer to Prompto had been impressive and somehow scary, because it seemed far too easy for her guarded friend.

"So when he said he loved me and I realized it sounded real…" Cindy tried explaining herself. "It was too serious, it brought me back to…" her voice broke and Luna shook her head, her way to tell Cindy there was no need to speak of things she wasn't ready to put into words. "Something snapped in my brain, I couldn't stay there... I rejected him. I was cruel, Luna, so damn cruel. He's such a kicked puppy already."

"Cindy, I don't want to be mean saying this, but as hurt as he's been, Prompto is a man. You need to see him for what he is."

"I do. What scared me was that I wanted to say I like him too."

Her tears took over then, Luna whispering her name, unsure if she knew the words to comfort her friend. She gave her the time she needed to get through the first few sobs, holding her closer when Cindy cursed against herself.

"I broke his heart and I'm the one crying?!"

"You said you like him, Cindy, of course knowing he's hurting makes you cry."

"But what if I'm wrong about this? My heart is a stupid thing."

"By the Astrals, don't say stuff like that," Luna opposed. "What if you're right?! You need to trust yourself more girl. When you have a feeling about something, you're always right. Remember what you said when you saw how I was looking at Noctis?"

"Ha, I certainly do. Damn! But I've been wrong…"

"Trust your gut on this, Cindy. You never let any man close to you. You were down to snuggle with that one every night."

"Beneath all the hard-ass comments he makes, he's freaking sweet," the mechanic admitted. "But my gut is often wrong…"

"Was it wrong when you flew us through a storm back when we were teenage girls? Or that time when you dragged my ass out of the bar just before it was raided by imperials?"

"Dumb luck in the second case. You know I hate to puke in public toilets."

They did laugh at that comment, Luna coughing a bit by the end of it while Cindy sniffled.

"I was really awful to him, Luna. Saying I'd been "nice" because I pitied him."

"That's… that's pretty savage even for you," Luna admitted.

"So how do I even…?"

"Well, he works for me, so he has to stick around," Luna observed. "Give him some room at first, but if you really like him, he should know. I'm sure he would understand someone panicking about a confession."

Cindy wanted to argue that her panic was on another level, but couldn't find her voice except to whisper how sweet and adorable he'd been to her, apologies streaming with her tears.

"I'm ruining your day, Luna…"

"No, no, it's okay, Cin, don't ever worry about something as silly as that."

"But…"

Luna hugged her closer, shaking her head at her, brushing her hair away from her face.

"You calmed me every time I was down and helped me see clear when I was worrying about this baby. And friends are supposed to be there when we have rough times. I'm always going to be there for you, even when the baby is out and running around."

"Thank you, Luna. I don't feel worth this, but thank you…"

It took a lot more comforting for Cindy to start calming down, but Luna didn't give up until her friend started feeling somewhat better. Noctis's own job was of a different sort…

…

Prompto grew paler with the first step outside and when he tried to joke about Noctis's proficiency at making his girl pregnant, it was so faked that Noctis couldn't even manage a laugh.

"What the hell did she do to you?"

"Get me drunk first man."

They stopped in the first bar they spotted, Prompto insisting on testing the special shots of the house before going for a few beers. He seemed to warm up with every new gulp of alcohol, dragging Noctis to play pool and pretending the guy needed his help to hold the stick until Noctis got tired of that little game. Noctis was surprised at first at how people let them be, the guys they were playing with not even making fun of him for his shaking arm. He noticed the whispering, but it was hard to tell if it was about the clone or about the prince of murderers. With the hours passing, people whispered less, minding their own business, be it made of happiness or misery.

"Why don't we just sit down and drink, Prom? I need a break," Noctis asked after the fourth game.

His right arm was aching up to his shoulder and he was starting to regret not taking his painkillers with him. It was still hard to depend on pills for him and they barely alleviated the pain on the worst days. Prompto followed him to a booth, insisting on paying their next round.

"The daddy-to-be should be celebrated after all! Who knows when you'll be able to drink again."

"Very funny."

Prompto crossed his arms over his chest, looking more serious as he asked him, "How likely are we to get drunk in Lucis?"

Noctis had to concede him the point on that one and he stared at his beer, deep in thought.

"With Luna… in her current state," Noctis went on, doing his best to be discreet in case anyone was listening in on them. "I'm not sure I want to be in Lucis," he admitted. "Or at war."

"You and me both, dude. But things are what they are."

"And how are things? I mean… you can ask me to sod off if you'd rather, but did something happen with Cindy?"

Prompto hung his head, shoulders drawing inward just enough for Noctis to notice.

"I did something really stupid. It didn't seem stupid, whenever I'm sweet with her, she melts a little and I can't get enough of her smiles. But apparently, that was all because I'm a cute lost cause."

Noctis gripped the table with his bad hand, holding his glass with the good one.

"What?! What the hell did she say?"

"That she only ever looked at me out of pity," Prompto snapped, looking away from his friend, his fingers nervously drumming against the table. "I can't even be happy with _that_. No, I had to tell her I loved her and make a damn fool of myself."

"That's crazy Prom. How is loving her making a fool of yourself? She's… Well, she's not nice, but I thought she was…"

"Don't say that. It hurts, but she's a great girl. I dreamt too big."

"You're owed respect, stop acting like you were dirt on her shoes."

"What's so wrong with that? At one point, being the dirt she stepped on would have been my only goal in life, Noct," Prompto sounded so serious, it was painful for the prince not to interrupt him. "I'm sub-human, and pitiable, and ridiculous. She tells me not to worry about how broken I am, but all I could do was complain and be insecure. Who wants that?"

Noctis hit their table hard enough to make Prompto jump, his glass spinning until he caught it between his hands and people looked up in surprise.

"Everyone is broken over something," the Lucian man stated. "The people saying otherwise are either fooling themselves or too sheltered to know what life's like. And that bitch should know better than…"

"Whoa!"

Noctis held his glare, trying to make his point, "she dresses like a slut half the time, she toyed around with you for weeks, leading you on, and…"

"She sure did, but that doesn't make her a slut. I've seen enough actual sluts to know. Noct, she cried after yelling at me and it hurt so bad. I know I'm worthless and I know pity was involved at one point if not all along. Don't try telling me you aren't friends with me out of pity a little bit yourself."

"I don't pity you. That'd be way too hypocritical of me. I'm a walking and stumbling lost cause half the time, Prom."

The gunman snickered at that, rocking the remaining beer in his glass, his shoulders sagging a little more.

"I'd never used that word before. Love. And she instantly blew me away, saying I couldn't…"

He grabbed a fistful of his shirt, staring down at the barcode peeking out of his sleeve with dark eyes.

"What if she's right?"

Noctis wanted to slap some sense into him, but he also had half a mind to head back to the hotel suite and give Cindy a piece of his mind. Prompto was so fragile beneath the harsh words and dirty jokes.

"You definitely have feelings and you have a right to do so, man. You have a right to love and be loved. Heck, if she can't be happy with you, she's nothing but a dumb pretty face."

"Heartless maybe, but not dumb. She's mean at cards."

"And at everything. I mean, things were looking good, weren't they?"

That was a bad angle and Noctis bit his tongue as soon as the words were out. Prompto had rarely talked about things between Cindy and him. You'd think he would share all the juicy details with his only male friend, but no, he was of the kiss and don't tell kind despite all the trash talk.

Prompto started nodding and then shaking his head no, his eyes blinking too quickly before he was drying off tears.

"We'd snuggled and make out and it was nice. A comfort thing she called it, but I must have gotten too comfortable."

"Stop it, for Etro's sake, Prom, I saw the way she'd look at you when you walked into a room."

"How many times did a girl start punching you and yelling when you opened your heart to her, huh?! I don't care what signals she gave before today, I blew it and that's all I…"

"You tried," Noctis corrected him. "Her reacting badly doesn't mean you earned the words she used."

"I don't want to go back and face her. How pathetic is that?"

This time, Noctis couldn't contain himself and gave him a slap on the shoulder, using his right hand out of habit, which meant the attack turned into a friendly pat more than an actual attack.

"There's nothing pathetic about how you feel. If I could have you stay over at the center, I'd make arrangements for it. You definitely could use some time away from Cindy…"

Prompto couldn't help remembering the way she'd snapped at being called "Cin" and wondered if it was because the nickname came from him or whether it was something else entirely.

"I can't help myself, I still feel worried about her."

"You can't back-order feelings," Noctis tried comforting him. He shuffled around the booth to sit by his friend's side instead of in front of him, Prompto protesting at first to the half hug the prince offered him, caving in not long after.

"I thought I was done feeling so worthless. But it doesn't go away, does it?"

Noctis sighed, knowing what he meant. He wanted to call Cindy names, but it wasn't what his friend needed and he felt lost about how to handle this. In the past, Gladiolus had never opened up about any of his relationships, mostly because those barely lasted longer than a weekend and Ignis had opened up after some time, but kept his pain to himself. Which brought the prince to a realization, he had never really confided or be confided in before, outside of what he shared with Luna.

"Okay, you know what? We said we'd go over every bar we could find. So we're going to do that. And to hell with it."

Prompto didn't look so sure, but he followed Noctis out and the pair of friends followed their phones to the closest bar, taking a few shots and one beer before heading back down. They would punctuate each new gulp with a curse against something, from the Astrals to indecisive girls and bad brothers, which sometimes caught people's attention and even a few free rounds for the duo. By the fourth bar, Prompto was openly laughing, his face held sideways, and he would tear up at the smallest incentive, be it the colors he saw on some girl's dress or just the fact Noctis's hand was shaking every now and then.

"Dude, it's fine…"

"I know, I'm just full-cstra emotional."

"Full-cstra?" the prince repeated.

"…Xtra. Cstra… Damn. I've never drank that much before."

"We'd better stop. I'm not sure I'll be let in the center by now."

"To hell with that, right?" the gunman said, raising his glass and lowering it almost as soon, dizziness taking over him. He crossed his arms over the table leaning his head on his forearm with a grunt.

"I think we've found your limit. And I'm going to regret this tomorrow."

Noctis patted his shoulder, his eyes a bit unfocused and he wasn't sure he understood what Prompto was talking about with how much he slurred.

"How'd ya do it?"

"What?"

"How'd you do it?" The blond repeated slower this time. "Luna falling for you despite… You're a prince, but you've got one hell of a reputation. I can't even have a mechanic liking my sorry ass…"

"Damn, Prom, it's not…"

"Was there something special you did or said?"

Noctis decided to give it some thoughts, especially because of the look Prompto was giving him, his head still lying on the table, tears shining in his eyes but refusing to fall.

"I still don't believe it most days, you know. At first I tried to be the best I could at everything, but Luna didn't care for that. I was useful to her and I didn't mind being a tool. I needed a roof and a more stable situation than just running."

"When did the banging start?"

Noctis barely had the sense to wince, trying hard to kick his memory and his brain into working together.

"I started sleeping in her room, at the foot of her bed to be precise, after one vicious attack by Glauca. We were already close and it was… convenient at first. I fell for her hard. Almost from day one. And while being unsure, I wanted to prove myself worthy of her attention. So I worked until it felt like I was doing enough."

"You didn't have to force anything, huh? It just happened."

"Oh, some of the things she does drive me nuts, don't get me wrong. I'm not a morning person and she'd rouse me at any moment in the night. But whenever she smiled…"

"You're not helping me, you… Lucian spawner."

"Spawner?!"

"I'm all out of worthy insults. Or anything worthy. Cindy will never…"

A brutal poke in the ribs cut him off his dark tangent and Prompto yelped, sitting up straight once more to shift a bit further from Noctis.

"The Quicksilver fellow that showed up at Luna's camp a few months ago wouldn't give up this easily."

"I asked you for advice and you decided to tell me your sappy story instead," the gunman complained.

"What if I got Luna on our side?"

"Pfff…"

"We'll matchmake you two before you know it," Noctis insisted.

Prompto wasn't so sure that was a good idea, but in his drunken haze, he agreed to it nevertheless. Luna wasn't impressed with the state they were in when both gentlemen showed up, forbidding Noctis from kissing her even after he offered to brush his teeth, but insisting on keeping having him stay over for the night. Cindy was already in bed and Prompto simply crashed on the couch in the living room upon his arrival, stating he wouldn't move an inch further before falling asleep.

"We need to do something for Prompto."

"Agreed. But Cindy is quite fragile right now, don't make that face, I know that girl better than yo do, Noct."

"You'll look after him for me?"

His fiancée nodded, replacing a few strands of hair as he leaned against the kitchen's counter, her hand running up and down his right arm, sensing the trembling settled in his nerves. She still wanted to apologize for that wound, but knew Noctis would turn melancholic if she insisted on it.

"I intend to help them both. And I will not order them to make up, I'll be more subtle than that."

"I have complete faith in you, Luna."

"No pressure, huh?"

He kissed her forehead, pulling her into a hug and sighed as she melted between his arms.

"I really, really don't want to head back to the center…"

"But the sooner you're cleared, the sooner we can leave."

His hands covered her still flat stomach, his voice cracking up a bit.

"Don't grow up too fast in there. I want to enjoy the sight of every little change."

He couldn't see Luna's blush, but he could almost hear it in the way she said his name.

…

Ignis was starting to forget what wearing a shirt felt like. He wanted Aranea in his arms all the time, barely parting from her to freshen up or fetch some food. On the first two days, they settled for canned food eaten cold, but after that, he insisted on cooking for her.

"I can help," Aranea offered.

"This excuse for a kitchen is too small for us both. And I can't focus if you help me while naked."

"I like seeing you unfocused," she observed. "Makes you look a little more human."

"Oh please," he rolled his eyes, turning around to look at the pots on the burners.

"You're so perfect all the time. Perfect shoulders," she whispered, following the muscles beneath the skin with her fingertips, "perfect hair" she stroked his hair, massaging his scalp as best as she could while standing on her toes. Ignis leaned his head backward so she could access more of his scalp, but she was already breathing against his shoulder blade. "Perfect ass." He gasped as she squeezed him through his boxer, her breasts brushing against his back.

"Aranea, I…"

"I love your voice. It's so deep…" she let her fingers tiptoe their way to the front of his waist, her nails grazing his sides.

He let out a shuddering breath, blinking a few times too many.

"You said you were hungry," he held back a moan.

How could he still be so sensitive?

"Did I say for what?

Her hands went south, bold and determinate, barely letting him speak.

"Your stomach grumbling was… Oh lords."

"How long will you resist me?"

Ignis turned off the burners, grabbing her wrists to turn around and pull her to him. Her smile was playful and tasted like honey.

"You know you can't live off love and candies."

"Which is why we have army rations. I don't mean to insult your cooking, but I can't help myself when I see you walking around in nothing but your boxers."

"You hid my clothes!" he protested.

Aranea smirked at that, "are you really complaining about your situation?"

He lifted her with a grunt, her legs wrapping around his waist instinctively, their lips locking together in a heated dance that was comfortably familiar by now.

"I wish… we didn't have to feel trapped here."

"I'm fine being your prisoner."

"A shame I forgot to bring shackles."

She tapped his shoulder with one finger, refusing his following kiss.

"Careful, I was being clumsy and sweet, not…"

"You're rubbing off on me. Are we talking or…?"

She felt him so close through the barrier of his boxers and the friction was bliss and torture so she cut him off.

"…or fucking?"

Ignis tensed as though the word was a physical slap in the face.

"Please, we don't…"

"Less talking, more kissing, Ig."

He obliged her, kissing her until they were both flushed and panting for air.

"Dammit. I've been turning into an animal since I got here, haven't I?"

"You've been having one nasty case of blue balls, haven't you?" The former dragoon teased him. "Let it out. We can stay here for a full week before we have to worry about food."

"Okay. I mean…" he bit his lips, clearly at odds with himself, while his hips were pretty clear about his intentions. "Aranea, can you… touch me more?" he asked, voice hoarse with need.

She remained shocked for a few seconds, since Ignis had never worked the nerves to give her directions before, except the rare instances she insisted on having his feedback.

"Where?"

His ears burned but he guided her hand between them, sitting her on the table and bending awkwardly to steal her lips for more kisses. She tugged down on the elastic of his boxer, relishing his moan when she gave him a squeeze. He needed to steady himself with one hand, teasing one of her breasts with the other, the tension still too strong between them for their gestures to be fully tender.

"I need to know what you want, Nea. It can't only be… me"

She arched under his touch, moaning into his ears, her nails digging in his lower back while she took her pace up a notch.

"I want to hear more of your voice."

"I want to make you scream."

The day stretched into rushed and lazy love-making, Ignis managing to complete dinner for her with only two more tries. They were exhausted before the sun was even down and snuggled close after a cold shower, Aranea throwing on a long and baggy shirt so they could stay on top of the sheets.

"How long until you miss your work?" she asked him.

"My work's with you now. Although I do want to meet Noctis. I owe him an apology."

Aranea worried her lower lip, toying with the few hairs on his chest as she wondered what that encounter would lead to.

"You want to help him reclaim his throne, don't you?"

"I don't know what his plans are, but it's true I'd like to help," Ignis started. "Except my priority is you. If you tell me you want to go live on a deserted island…"

"And take us both away from technology? No. Way. I know I can't stay in Accordo. I'd get killed. Lucis might be a better place for me."

"We could be hunters I guess…"

Ignis clearly disliked not having a plan ready, but Aranea had insisted that it was exactly what made their current situation exciting.

"If Noctis offers you a job, I say take it. I can't be on a battlefield for long with that leg."

"You'll let me look after you?"

"Well, as long as I can be a provider as well. Surely a defected strategist can bring something to the world other than a nice fit for a prisoner uniform."

"Oh, but in my prison, you don't get any uniform. Not even underwear."

"This sounds like a really unethical place, mister Scientia."

"The bars are my arms, so I hope it's comfier then it sounds."

He kissed the crown of her head and when he laid a kiss on her neck, her hair brushed aside, she couldn't help a chuckle.

"It tickles. Your stubble is starting to show."

"Would you prefer me with a beard?"

"I don't know. No mustache though, that's for sure. You'd have to let it grow until it can be called a beard. Would you prefer me with short hair?"

"I love you no matter what you look like," he insisted.

It was impossible to say which of them both was the happier. They just wanted to remain hidden in this little bubble of peace for as long as possible.

That bubble finally burst when Ignis finally felt too guilty for stalling his meeting with Noctis. There was a lot of information his friend needed to learn, and he couldn't leave him in the dark like that. Entering the center and asking for the exiled prince's name was easy enough, but the time spent waiting for Noctis to show up was torture. Ignis was good at waiting usually, but his patience had been used and abused over the years. Aranea had assured him that his friend was mostly fine after his confrontation with an Astral, but Ignis remembered only one time when Noctis had been hospitalized quite as long.

 _I rushed to Aranea and he can't blame me, but if she'd been in Niflheim while he was in Accordo, would I have skipped right to the empire?_

With the way he'd treated Noctis on their last meeting, he was afraid of the welcome he'd received.

" _He was shocked and deeply touched that you even wanted to check on him, he'll be delighted to see you," Aranea had said._

But Aranea loved him and while she wasn't one to lie, she had softened the truth for him every now and then. He'd left her a mere few hours ago and he already missed her so badly.

"You're growing pathetic with age," he chided himself.

…

"Are you certain?" Noctis couldn't help but ask for the third time.

"You have a visitor, Mr. Caelum. We can ask him to leave if you…"

"No, no, I'm just…. How did he learn I was here?"

And when did the chosen king's advisor leave Lucis to come all the way to Altissia? He was following the center's secretary to the visitors' rooms, a place where he usually met with Prompto and on very rare occasions, with Luna.

"We've kept that information confidential, but this friends of yours appears quite logical. There are only two rehab centers in Accordo, so he had a fifty percent chance by trying us."

Ignis was sitting in the waiting room, his back too straight, holding back on his urge to pace all over the room. The exiled prince was in a very similar state of mind. Ignis had been the last familiar face he'd seen, the last voice he'd heard, the ultimate threat convincing him he couldn't stay in Lucis. The worst part of it was the fact his friend had decided to believe his brother over him. Noctis could understand that Gladio wouldn't trust him after having his arm nearly cut off. But ever since his return from Niflheim, Ignis had been on his side.

Aranea's visit was the first hint that Ignis believed his story. Noctis had been shaken to realize how deep down, his brother's advisor still cared. And now he was here?

"Ignis," Noctis greeted him, holding his right arm at his side with his left hand in the hope he could hide the shaking.

He felt silly to even be self-conscious but Ignis was always so perfect, it put pressure on his peers somehow.

"Hi," Ignis replied, wincing at the sound of his own voice. "It's good to see you Noctis. I apologize for showing up like this without a warning…"

He'd gotten up and both men felt awkward, not sure how to look at each other or even what they were supposed to say.

"Don't be ridiculous," Noctis tried. "It's good to see you too. Surprising, I'll admit, but good."

They stepped into a small lobby where they could take a seat across one another and talk without the secretary's supervision. Ignis couldn't help replacing his glasses and jacket every few minutes and he soon heaved a deep sigh.

"I need to make amends, for I was a fool to follow orders and chase you from Lucis," he started. "Even then I knew, but I refused to act on a gut feeling alone."

Noctis wanted to tell him it was fine, but his heart clenched at the memory of that day. Ignis stood from his chair, kneeling before him as he went on, "I'm sorry for what I told you and not believing you. I'm deeply, truly sorry I helped them drive you into a corner…"

There was more he wanted to say, but Ignis was struggling to keep a straight face and Noctis barely remained rooted to his seat.

"Iggy… Don't kneel like that, it's… How do you even know it wasn't me?"

Ignis refused to get back to his feet, looking up at Noctis and fighting against his emotions as he took note of the trembling that ran from his fingertips to his elbow. Noctis instantly knew why he was showing such regret and paled a little more.

"Nerve damage," he tried to sound playful about the fact. "I guess that could make me and Gladio even."

"It was his left, though," Ignis observed. "I'm sorry Noct, I was a lousy friend."

"Can't you stop it, Ig?" Noctis pleaded, standing up and pulling on the taller man's jacket. He lacked the strength to have him back on his feet, much to his chagrin, but he went on, "Just knowing you believe me means a lot. Everyone out there thinks I'm some deranged…"

"You are not!" Ignis stood up, gripping his shoulders. "Ardyn pulled the strings and created illusions with Ravus's full cooperation."

Hearing it from someone else's mouth was almost painful, for it brought Noctis back to every dark look, every stare and glare, and the strings of insults whispered to his very face. His father's repulsion at the sight of him. Noctis felt dizzy and had to hold Ignis back to steady himself.

"How do you _know_?"

"Ravus grew a conscience and told Iris. You know her, her heart's too big and she couldn't keep it to herself. Her brother nearly died from that abject staging."

Noctis darkened and Ignis bit his tongue as his best friend pressed his face into his shirt.

"That's on me. I was seeing something else, but…"

"No, Noctis, that's on Ravus and Ardyn. You mustn't blame yourself, you told everyone the truth, you stopped as soon as the illusion wore off."

"But I still…"

His voice broke a little and Ignis hugged him fully, something he'd done only three of four times in their lives. The first time had been as kids, when Noctis had been half delirious with a fever induced by the crystal rejecting him. The second time had been when Ignis finally came back from the empire, his cold mask cracking when Noctis ran up to him as best as he could with his bad leg, giving him the one and only notion that he'd actually been missed. The other time might have been when they'd gotten drunk together on Mother's Day, since they both felt like orphans despite having one parent left. Or maybe had it been because of Noctis planning those weeks off with Aranea for his friend.

"I should have supported you better," Ignis apologized once more. "I'm so sorry, Noct."

They both needed some time, simply holding onto each other as the violent wave of emotions ran through them, Noctis's breathing rough while Ignis tried calming down the shaking in his shoulders.

"Why did Rave even…?" Noctis managed

Ignis pulled away, while making sure his friend could stand on his own once more. He hadn't fully regained his own composure, but he gave Noctis a questioning look to ascertain he was fine enough to hear the rest. The exiled prince nodded slowly.

"I believe he was… about to get intimate with Iris and couldn't bear the secret anymore."

"That bastard," he groaned, his right hand turning into a trembling fist. "And poor Iris. What happened then?"

Ignis suggested that he sit back for a moment and Noctis wondered if his heart could find a normal rhythm once more.

"Iris went to your father," the former advisor explained, crossing his arms in front of him to prevent any wild gesturing as his blood grew too warm. "I called her the other day to get her full version of the events, so before I go any further, I need you to promise me you won't rush over to Lucis as soon as this conversation is over."

"Lunafreya is headed to Lucis as soon as my rehab is over, so I won't guarantee anything, Iggy."

Ignis sighed, holding back on asking the many questions he had about the princess. Noctis was going to get the truth from him first.

"Let me backtrack a little. Your brother is on his pilgrimage, to try and collect royal arms. Gladio is with him of course and so is Iris, as a member of the crownsguards."

"Why would the pilgrimage even take place if my father..? Oh shit, Ignis, don't tell me…!"

"Your father knows you are innocent. He knows and if we're to believe Iris, which I do, he's alive. But Ardyn didn't appreciate to have his secret out in the open. He must have been spying on the throne room. He stabbed the king and blackmailed Iris into keeping things a secret, otherwise, he'd kill the king."

Noctis was so pale, Luna would have looked tanned next to him. Both of his hands were shaking on the armrests of his chair and he blinked too quickly.

"My father was… How can you be here when…? I'm sorry, I know he failed your family, I just… How can we be sure my dad's alive?" His voice came out higher than intended, but Ignis crouched in front of him, looking him straight in the eyes.

"If Ardyn wanted Regis dead, he would have done it before. I don't know why, but that monster needs him alive. He assumed his appearance, as you know he can make very convincing illusions. Iris tried to bear the secret as we left he capital, but she was worried for Clarus, since the actual King's Shield has no idea what he's truly defending."

"By the gods. I knew Ardyn was shady, but… Ravus aligned himself with that maniac and now… No one in Insomnia knows?"

Ignis nodded, his shoulders sagging.

"I had to let you know how things were. And I pretty much gave my resignation and stole the Regalia in my rage. So there's a car waiting for you back home," he explained.

Noctis ran one hand through his dark hair, trying to accept what he'd just learned.

"My brother knew my father would get…"

"No. Far from it. It's safe to say Ravus regrets most of his decisions regarding the counsellor."

"Ha! That will get him far," Noctis grumbled. "If I could just break his nose and…!"

"Oh, Gladio beat you to it. And I'd say he's earned himself more than just a broken nose. I'll hold him for you when the times comes." Ignis said.

"I'm not gonna kill him, just rough him up until someone tells me to stop I guess. I'd need a steady fist first… Godsdamn, I can't even keep a sword up for half a minute right now. The only thing I have going for me is my magic."

Ignis's eyes widened at that.

"Your magic's working? Did it start with fire?"

Noctis frowned, "Why would…?"

"Ravus started burning himself again a few months ago. He can't draw thunder from crystal shards."

The biggest shock for the prince was that his first thought echoed with past fears. _I'm stealing his magic again._ It was so deeply ingrained, he couldn't fight it, he merely tried not to fall too deep in self-loathing. Ravus wasn't worth it.

"And now he's trying to collect the royal arms, huh? I've gathered at least… 6 of them before you caught up to me."

It had been quite cathartic to know his ancestors were with him when the rest of the world wasn't.

"Well done," Ignis commented. "He was a wreck coming out of that tomb."

Noctis wondered why the notion pained him. His brother should hurt after he'd done to him, and yet…

"Ignis, Luna and I were already planning to go over to Insomnia at some point. With Ardyn pretending to be my father, I know it will be harder, but we can surely get in through the sewers."

"Luna, huh?" Ignis asked.

"She likes the nickname and my work is to keep her happy. Do you know your way through the sewers, Ig?"

"I'll get you in if you'll have my help. I'm pretty certain Gladio will want to help too."

The whiplash of being treated as a murderer to suddenly hear his old friends were ready to support him like they used to made his head turn.

"This is a lot to process all at once. And I'm not making decisions on my own anymore. How about you sit down, Ignis, I'm not going to crumble if I toughed it so far."

Ignis obeyed, while still raising one brow.

"Lady Lunafreya? I thought you were her bodyguard, not her happiness charm."

Noctis nodded, holding back on a sigh.

"It's true that I don't simply work for her. I know I can trust in your discretion. I love her. And we're getting married."

Both of Ignis's brows lifted even higher on his forehead at that.

"My, well… Congratulations. I never thought I'd see the day where you'd want to get married."

"I did a lot of things wrong with her, but she owns my heart. I'm not even kidding."

"A bodyguard romance for our Noctis. Gladiolus will seethe. He'd always wished you boys had a sister."

Noctis tried to smile, but his nerves were too raw and shot.

"Very funny. Like he can't have all the girls he wants already. But wait, we'll joke around later. There's more about Luna. She's…" He swallowed, realizing that he wanted to smile while his face heat up despite the fact there wasn't anything wrong with having a pregnant girlfriend, was there? "I'm still getting my head around it," he defended himself for getting so flustered. "She's pregnant, Iggy. My dad could be dead, I might be a father in a few months if I can keep this princess alive and she's hellbent on making pacts with every Astral Ravus should be meeting… And my right hand looks like this!"

To say he was overwhelmed would be an understatement, and Ignis felt just as overwhelmed, staring at Noctis with his eyes rounder than saucers.

"Wow. You're cut lose upon the world for a few months and you certainly don't lose an occasion, do you?"

"Ignis!"

"I mean, the longest relationship you ever had was… 3 months long?"

"Oh please, don't remind me of her."

"And now you're all grown up, independent, decided to get married to the Oracle, no less, starting a family, and fighting against the whole world. You can't take everything on at once, you know that?"

"Well, if we have you on our team, we might pull it off. Unless you're too busy with your lady."

Ignis coughed.

"Don't give me that look."

"You're blushing, Iggy. You did meet up with her. How long have you been in Altissia?"

The strategist had to count because he had lost track of time for once.

"About… five days?"

Noctis's eyes widened, his mouth hanging open as he raised himself in his seat in mocked outrage.

"And you only visit me now? Have you been naked with her the whole time?"

Ignis cleared his throat, massaging his forehead as he summoned all his patience.

"I haven't seen her in years, Noct."

"So you've been having mind-blowing catching up sex, haven't you?"

"As a matter of fact, I did. Now wipe that smirk off your face before I ask to know how planned this pregnancy was."

Noctis's smile did fade at first, but he couldn't help himself.

"Seeing you uncomfortable never gets old, Ignis."

They talked for hours, having a lot of catching up to do, Ignis promising to visit again and come over to the suite so Noctis could introduce him to Luna. Both men kept teasing each other, finding in their laughs the reprieve they needed from the worries plaguing their hearts.

To be continued…

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In next chapter, Noctis might very well look for comfort in Luna's arms, because the poor guy needs it, Prompto will meet Ignis and I might do a little time skip so we can look at Lucis with Noctis's gang and not only Ravus and co. Reviews are always welcome, but you can keep the flames to yourself. Constructive criticisms is the best way to see my stories progress 😉


	19. Can we leave yet?

So, I kinda went through a small surgery this week, nothing big, but a surgery still, which means a healing process. So what better things to do than write some shameless smut and fluff on my favorite pairing? Today's chapter focuses on Noctis and Luna only, with mentions to the other characters. The story doesn't really progress, but I hope you'll like it. Lots of angst to come – and yes, angst is woven into this chapter too, because angst is my blood, soul, butter and fluff-spawner. Without further ado, enjoy your read!

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Stranded

Chapter 17 – Can we leave yet?

 _Hey. I miss my boss._

Luna rolled her eyes at her screen, typing back as she listened to the sounds of the suite. She was waiting for Prompto to get back from his night run, knowing Cindy was already asleep, or at least pretending to be asleep. The gunman had jumped back into his military training routine, burning himself out with a program that involved going out on 3 miles runs twice a day and all the sit-ups, push-ups and pull-ups he could manage without his arms breaking. Luna had tried to do half of his routine to keep him company, insisting that working out would be good for her, and she felt nauseous for the first time since she'd learned about her pregnancy.

 _You have the wrong number. I'm no one's boss._

 _N: I miss my queen._

 _L: I sure don't feel like a queen. Why are you being so sweet? Anything happen?_

 _N: I want to see you. Maybe we can have dinner, try something romantic?_

She bit her lower lip, her heart swelling a little. He sounded so eager and it made her miss him even more. But she reminded herself about his rehab schedule and tried to be wise in her answer.

 _L: We saw each other two days ago._

 _N: I had some news from Lucis. My friend Iggy… Well it was bad news and it's making me frantic._

Luna wanted to hit the call button right then, but hesitated. Noctis was clearly beating around the bush and had started with that dinner idea. She wasn't sure if he was being considerate or minimizing his need to get whatever he'd learned off his chest.

 _L: Call me?_

Her phone started buzzing as too many messages came in almost at once. Noctis had really gotten better at typing with his left hand.

 _N: I don't want to talk about it on the phone. Or in texts. It's not like I could do something even if I was there right now. I just need to see you._

 _L: Oh, my poor Noctis. I can visit you first thing tomorrow if you'd like?_

 _N: I'd rather see you outside of the center. I don't want you to stress over this Lun. How was your day?_

They texted back and forth, Luna so focused on her answers to his questions and jokes that she jumped when the door finally clicked open, Prompto stepping in. Looking up at the clock, she realized how late it was.

"Hey Prom," she greeted him.

"I'm here to shower and die," he shot back, his hair a mess of sweaty curls. "Tell Noct I said hi."

"How do you know I'm… Hey, grab a bite before going to bed!"

"Yes mom."

 _L: Prompto is training. I think he's aiming for the Olympics. Or maybe to kill himself._

 _N: I wish I could compete with him._

 _L: What sport?_

 _N: All of them. It's not too stressful looking after him and Cindy?_

 _L: Prompto seems to be doing better than Cindy. I try to take her tools away from her, she keeps hurting herself trying to fix things._

 _N: What could she have to fix?_

The truth was, Cindy needed to keep herself busy. She would hide in her room or Luna's, because whenever she was around Prompto, he made it a point to ignore her. He would fall silent if he had been talking with Luna, and while it was a childish way to deal with the situation, Cindy repeated that she'd earned such a treatment.

 _L: I'm worried about them. Prompto only talks about his training and Cindy has pretty much stopped talking._

 _N: Give it time. I know you'd rather fix everything with your magic, but remember what the doctors said._

 _L: Oh, I know what they said. I've been so inactive as the Oracle, people might think I'm actually dead._

 _N: Don't say stuff like that._

After talking for a little while longer, Luna seriously wondering why they hadn't called each other by then, they agreed on a low-key date in the hotel Luna was staying in. They'd book a separate room and Prompto and Cindy would just have to deal with having the suite to themselves for the night.

 _L: Hopefully, they'll keep their distance and won't kill each other._

…

After making some arrangements to meet up with Noctis in the most private dining room the hotel had, the princess decided she wanted to enjoy an actual date. Where she'd seduce her prince instead of crying and sniffling in his embrace. She simply warned him he might have to change upon reaching the hotel, which made him joke around to hide how flustered he felt as he started imagining what she could have decided. Prompto refused to give him any hint and Cindy ignored the texts on her phone, even if they were from Luna, too busy repairing everything she could get her heavily bandaged hands on.

While worried about her friend, the Oracle had vowed to herself she would enjoy her dinner and night with Noctis, which Cindy approved when she finally realized what was going on. She insisted on helping Luna, and when said woman walked out of her room, Prompto snapped a dozen pictures, insisting that her looks needed to be immortalized for generations to come.

Luna was wearing a red and black laced dress that held each of her curves snuggly, blooming into a flowery skirt with a slit on one thigh. Her neck was bared thanks to a heavily braided bun, a single strand falling on the right side of her face. Sensible shoes and just a hint of make-up completed the outfit, but Prompto was won over and Cindy was too excited to remember how awkward she felt around him.

"She wasn't that dressed up for her semi-coronation ceremony, you know?"

"Damn, Noctis is way too lucky for this world. Give me a smile, Luna. And snap a picture of his gaping face when he sees you."

Luna laughed, not making any promises, but her heart felt quite lighter than usual when she stepped into the room where Noctis was already waiting for her. He'd changed into a tux as instructed by the hotel's workers, his unruly hair styled back for once, his face freshly shaved, holding his right wrist still as his nerves were acting up once more. Worry took over her mind for a second, but Noctis looked up at her third step into the room, his whole face lighting up at the sight of her.

He'd been a growing ball of nerves as the day wore on, meeting up with Prompto in a separate room a good hour before the start of the date to get a better idea of what was waiting for him. His friend had helped him with his cuff links and they'd cursed together for five minute about ties, Noctis settling to go on with a neglected look, the top buttons of his shirt left open. He felt nervous about the point where they would take off their clothes a little more than dinner, since he had a _shitload_ of new scars and that stupid shaking in his right arm that sometimes got his entire right side. He hadn't slept next to Luna except for a few uncomfortable nights on too-small hospital beds.

Now he was standing up from his chair, trying to calm the mad beating of his heart. He'd seen her dressed up for speeches to her soldiers and people. He'd seen her hair in a dozen different hairstyles, he'd helped her slip into a handful of her battle dresses, but he knew this time was different. It wasn't a dress he'd asked her to put on for him, but she was all dolled up for him. Not for the waiter, for a newspaper photoshoot or the fact she had to meet lady Camelia. Only him. He knew perfectly well she preferred wearing white, but the stark contrast of her pale skin with the dark lace running all over her dress gave her a fierce beauty.

"I was actually right that other time," he muttered to himself, smirking. "You look good in black."

His eyes could have swallowed her whole as she made her way up to him, Noctis meeting her halfway and offering her his left arm after extending the right one out of habit.

"What was that?" Luna asked him.

"I love that dress on you. I mean it," he insisted as she started shaking her head. "You're enchanting. I feel like I can't meet your expectations for this date," he whispered.

She barely fought against her blush, protesting with a wave of her hand.

"You're dashing, Noct."

"I only put ten minutes on my hair," he pretended a despaired sigh.

Her laugh was pure joy in his heart and he couldn't wait to kiss her, but restrained himself, decided to stay proper until they wouldn't need the services of any clerk, waiter or garçon from the establishment.

"I want to hear more about your friend Ignis," Luna declared. "When are you introducing me?"

Noctis couldn't help a warm smile at that, holding her chair for her as she sat down.

"He's catching up with his girlfriend while staying in Altissia, so it's hard to get a hold of him."

He had never told her much about the people from Lucis or his friends, since it was such a sore subject and Luna appreciated the change. It could have only concerned Ignis, but somehow, the anecdotes that came to mind concerned Gladio and Iris too and Luna was happy to see him opening up some more.

"He knows a girl here?"

"A Nif girl to be precise," Noctis scratching his head nervously as he wondered what Luna might say, but she simply nodded for him to continue. "She looked after him when he was a captive of the empire. I don't know how they manage such a long-distance relationship. Last time they met in person was 7 years ago."

Luna's eyes turned rounder than saucers.

"Good grief. I wouldn't be able to handle a full month with only texts from you," she told him.

His heart swelled, taking up too much space in his chest.

"Same here."

Their discussion shifted from the various ways Luna had tried when sneaking around Altissia for medical appointments or meetings with Camelia. Politics were too close to them both to be fully left out, but Noctis did laugh at the antics Luna told him about and got a few giggles out of her when he mentioned his fellow rehab patients' antics.

One guy had been on painkillers for so long upon his arrival, he had given animal names to every nurse and doctors of the center. The rest of the patients had taken upon a few of the unfortunate nicknames, their favorite being doctor Coeurl, nurse Anak-tantrum and the gentle nurse Garulet.

"She's really gentle, which counts as fluffy I imagine," Noctis tried defending the serial-nicknamer's logic.

"That's so silly," Luna laughed. "I've never heard you use that word before."

"I'd rather tell the girl she's fluffy as a garulet instead of mentioning how those things charge in a stampede."

"Or your favorite part of meat in a garulet, huh?"

Noctis looked scandalized by the mere suggestion.

"Luna! That'd be so inappropriate!"

"I guess the good old Prompto is rubbing off on me somehow. Is it possible to miss his inappropriateness?"

"It is," Noctis sighed. "I never thought so, but damn, it's hard not seeing him as much as I used to. He barely answers my texts with all the training he does."

"You should have told me. I'll put in a word for you."

"When did you become his secretary?" he teased her.

"We're starting a company, didn't I tell you last week?" she bit back with a grin. "The Silver Oracle hardlines."

"Don't tell me you're manufacturing guns?!"

She couldn't hold back laughing then, covering her mouth with one hand, Noctis soon joining her.

"Only guns? How unimaginative is that?" Luna taunted him.

"You should do a full line of silverwares. And battle gowns. I bet you you'd double your country's GDP in six months. Although I'd hope you'd take me as a business partner over him."

Instead of sounding dejecting, Noctis was mischievous and Luna gave him a curious look.

"You're going to leave me hanging like this?" her bodyguard pretended to be offended.

"You're already much more than a business partner, Noct. Don't you know it?"

He nodded almost imperceptibly, getting up from the table then, which had her raising her brows, motioning to get up.

"Calm down, Luna, nothing's wrong. I hope it doesn't appear cliché or anything, but I… I want you to know how serious I am about being your partner in all of this."

She gasped when he knelt in front of her, pulling a silver velvet box from his jacket's pocket.

"I wasn't properly prepared the other day. And I don't know if it will fit, but would you give me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Luna was blinking too quickly as she opened the box, discovering a delicate ring adored with two small diamonds surrounding a sapphire.

"That's… that's way too much."

"Those are small rocks to tell other people I want you to be mine in this life," Noctis objected, shifting forward so he could take her free hand in his. "There's no too much," he gently pulled the ring out of the box and aligned it with her ring finger. "You answered me the other day, but I'd love a response now. Are you willing to have me? For better or for worse?"

Luna slipped the ring he was holding on her finger, her smile teary and fragile.

"Please, it will be for better, all the better, the worse is behind us. That means yes, Noctis, of course, I'll have you! I'll be yours."

Her hands cupped his face, their smiles mirroring the feeling in their hearts, and for a long moment, Noctis remained there, holding both of her wrists and trying to memorize the look on her face. He wondered if it was wrong to believe all the bad luck in his life had been so he could meet her. If it was, he would go through it all again in a heartbeat.

"It's so unreal Luna… I…"

He wanted to tell her he wasn't a murderer, that she'd been right believing him, that there was proof somewhere to clear his name, that he would protect her and their child to come, that he was the happiest man on Eos right now, that his father would be an awesome grandparent if they could only save him in time and…

 _It's so wrong._

The shaking in his right arm grew stronger and Luna sensed the shift of mood as he paled. Had she said something wrong?

"Tell me those are tears of joy, Noct," she asked him.

His throat felt too tight and he placated a smile on his face.

"I've never felt worthy of anything in my life. The things I had, the people I loved kept being taken away and almost as soon as you found me…"

Luna's heart dropped so low, she wondered if the baby felt it.

"You're more than worthy, my dear Noctis."

"I feel it," the prince assured her. "In the way you look at me. In your smiles and your touches. Even those texts. I'm so happy, I feel like I could burst."

"Oh, don't do that. I can fix a lot of things, but…"

Noctis straightened up, swallowing hard, his smile brightening, and he stole her lips, half pulling her out of her chair. The dessert was only half done, but Luna sighed under his touch, gripping to his shoulders, deepening his kiss. They felt more grounded and the need for each other's touch was so strong, if he'd laid her down on the table right now, she might have rolled with it.

"I'm glad you can handle my emotional swings so well," Noctis whispered into her ear when he gently pulled away. "I swear I'm glad you said yes. There's too much going on and I can't process it all, but I love you. Both of you," he added, covering her stomach with one palm.

"I think I might be the one not worthy of you. You'll give me cavities, being this sweet."

"Sounds like you should skip your dessert."

…

They agreed to retire for the night, walking arm in arm, exchanging sweet words and feeling grateful for how respectful and invisible the hotel personnel was with this whole deal. Noctis was fully aware of what he was in most people's eyes.

"No brooding," Luna warned him as she noticed the way his head lowered with every new step and the cautious looks he threw around.

"How could I?" he teased her, holding her closer.

"You still didn't tell me what happened with…"

"Later," he offered, already embarrassed enough for letting his emotions get the better of him earlier.

"Sounds like you have plans, mister."

"Like you're not itching to tear off my clothes," Noctis chuckled against her nape, unable to resist the temptation any longer.

They were stepping into their private suite two steps later, Luna leaning her head to the side to give him better access to her neck, sighing as he closed the door with his back, one hand on her hip and the other one following a path up her sides.

"You smell like heaven."

"I certainly hope you don't know that scent," Luna joked around, her voice shifting to a whine as his lips grew heavier on her. "Noct, don't leave a mark…"

"You said you were mine," he defended himself.

"But so did you, so you'd better let me turn around and get a better look at what I'm getting myself into."

They laughed throughout the following kiss, Noctis realizing upon a closer inspection of her dress that it was two separate pieces of clothing. His hands itched for her skin and he couldn't voice his question, Luna's lips locked with his in a hot dance. She was messing up his hair and slipping one hand beneath his jacket to hold him closer, her needy whine all the encouragement he needed. He found the clasps on her top, struggling a little as she pressed into him, his fingers not fully answering him on his right side.

"I want to see you," he pleaded, Luna taking her hands off him one at a time so they could help her out of the snug top, her hairdo half ruined once the laced fabric touched the floor. "That doesn't look quite comfortable," he noted, cupping her breasts through her push-up bra.

"Then free me from my misery," Luna taunted him.

He made quick work of the undergarment, his face leaning forward as he intently studied her, not minding the shaking of his right hand as much since he could sense how warm and soft her skin felt.

"Are they bigger already?"

"Noct! Is this the only part of the pregnancy you care about?"

He gave her a sheepish smile, shaking his head, wrapping his good arm around her.

"I don't care about sizes. I missed…" he bit his lower lip, wondering if the words he wanted to say would sound bad. "I missed touching you. Pleasing you."

His right hand clenched around her breast a little too suddenly, making her yelp in pain. He instantly dropped his arm, his insecurities coming back.

"I'm sorry, I…"

"I'm not going to break for something like that," Luna reminded him. "I'm just tender. And I know your nerves are still… I wish I could fix it for you."

"You handled me broken before," Noctis pointed out, his voice shifting as his insecurities threatened to take over. "It just… shows more than it used to…"

Luna took a step back, gently lifting his wounded arm to kiss the knuckles on his right hand. The gesture was so soft.

"You were protecting me, and don't believe I'll ever forget about it."

She turned his hand around, kissing his palm, letting out a sigh as she realized how fragile it made them both feel. Her blue eyes met his, a sparkle of mischievousness growing back and she took his index finger in her mouth.

"Hey…!"

"I haven't been in your pants for a while," Luna declared. "And I did promise you a reward some time ago."

"Wait a…"

Her hands undid his buckle, the princess kneeling in front of him as she pulled both his pants and boxers down to his ankle.

"Luna, you don't have to…"

"I want to. And I won't make you feel bad for letting me afterwards. But first, socks off."

The sight of his half-naked fiancée at his feet was surreal, but Noctis decided to follow her lead for now. He had already planned to repay her tenfold for every attention she'd show him. His shoes, socks and pants and underwear were pushed in a pile, Luna reaching up to follow the muscles of his inner thighs, taunting his cock to full attention with her breath, the tip of her tongue and her hands.

"You really don't need to…"

"Shhh. I won't bite. Unless you try to choke me," she sounded playful enough, but just the memory of how she'd hacked up that one time made him feel guiltier for even agreeing to this.

He swallowed, feeling even more nervous. He felt incredibly raw under her touch and the fact they were both still half dressed excited him more than he'd imagined. Most of his scars were still hidden and Luna loved him enough to…

"Shit, don't…!"

She teased his balls with one hand, drawing shivers over his thigh with her free hand, her mouth warm around him. His fingers dove into her blond locks, Noctis doing everything he could not to move his hips in rhythm with her motions. He knew her knees had to hurt and wanted her to at least try and please herself, not only him, but she was teaching him it was fine to be on the receiving end sometimes.

"Luna…" he gasped, hoping she'd understand him with just her name.

She huffed against his skin, her nails digging into his hip and he flinched, unable to hold back a sigh as she eased the pain with gentle nibbling, her hands moving faster over him.

"That's too… fast…"

"We have the whole night in front of us," she reminded him, her breasts brushing against his leg.

His muscles clenched, his release spilling through her fingers, falling on her skin and wrinkled skirt. His eyes were locked on her as she wiped her mouth on a corner of his shirt, her fingers teasing the hairs on his lower stomach, his own fingers tightening in her hair. Her make up was a mess now, her lips too red, her cheeks flushed and the distance between them was painful.

"Give me some space so I can hold you, Luna."

"Help me up?"

If felt a little awkward, their legs were weak for the both of them and when he motioned to kiss her, Luna shook her head with a shy smile.

"I… I'd like to clean up a bit, if you don't mind."

"I'd rather not let go of you, but… Maybe I could freshen up a little myself?"

They only had one bathroom and Luna accepted the compromise, fighting against a laugh as he made googly eyes at her in the mirror. She had no modesty as she stood in front of the vanity, chest bare, trying to efficiently undo the braids keeping her hair half up on her head. Noctis offered his help, already done with cleaning, refusing to leave her for even a second. It was quite endearing, and Luna found herself a tad annoyed at how long freshening up took her. She soon confessed that the step of removing her makeup was the reason why she didn't wear it much.

"Maybe I should though. I look like a ghost."

"My love ghost," Noctis retorted, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Silly man," she sighed, happy to lean into him, blushing at the amorous smile he was giving her in the mirror. "This cleaning up break feels pretty anticlimactic, doesn't it?"

"Only means I have my work cut out for me to get you turned on," he whispered, planting a kiss on the back of her neck, his hands toying with the waistband of her skirt.

"What are you doing?" Luna asked him playfully.

"I'm freezing my butt off, sounds fair that you would too."

"You poor thing," she started mocking him. "Just wait until we get back to the bed…"

"I've heard you more eager."

"I'm trying to give you time to regain stamina."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Halfway through the banter, Noctis finally figured out how her skirt worked and obtained her approval for taking it off by giving her his best puppy look. He couldn't help a small intake of breath as he discovered the underwear she'd picked for their night, for she rarely spoiled him by wearing lingerie.

"Blue underneath all that red?"

"I didn't pack that much lace," Luna tried defending herself, wondering how he could boost her confidence just with the way he stared at her in the mirror.

"Say Luna, should we have a round with the glass as our witness or…?"

She covered her chest at that, as though the very notion made her worry someone might be hiding behind the glass and Noctis held her to him with a chuckle.

"You're going to get self-conscious now?"

"Look who's talking, keeping his shirt on through all of this."

"You have a point…"

Turning around to face him, Luna noticed the way his Adam's apple rose as he swallowed.

"Noct, I saw you shirtless in the hospital," she reminded him.

"Yeah, but I wasn't trying to look good then. I can't even lift you in my arms like I used to."

Her heart clenched as she realized just how much he worried about his new limitations. All the damage he'd undergone in her name.

"I only want you to hold me, Noctis. Come here."

He took a step closer, taking her extended hand and followed her back to the bedroom, sitting down on the bed with her. He tensed just a bit when she sat right between his legs, her own legs part on either side of him, her hands undoing the buttons of his shirt. The trembling in his right arm was nearly constant by then and he hated it so much, it was hard to appreciate the sultry look Luna gave him. But he lowered one shoulder, leaning forward so she could pull the shirt off, repeating the process with the other side. She made it a point to follow his muscles from the top of his shoulders to his fingertips, grazing the skin with her nails.

"Did I ever tell you how hot you look?"

His hands reached for her waist, his heart beating too quickly as he wished he'd kept his self-doubts to himself, but her fingers were on his chest, her eyes eating him up.

"Luna…" he tried, shocked by how fragile his voice sounded.

"I mean it. You helped me fight a freaking goddess. All the remaining trauma is because you were saving me and when I look at that, I remember how you always keep me safe no matter what. I don't care if your right arm always shakes. That scale would have…"

They were both breathing too fast, reliving that awful moment on the beach. Noctis remembered her lifeless body beneath his, the sizzling pain cutting through him, while Luna remembered his weight and his blood all over her.

"Please stop. You're safe and I'm safe and it's all that matters."

"There you go, my dear Noct."

She smiled, cupping his face with both hands, taking slow breaths with him. They got in sync without needing to exchange a single word, Noctis rubbing her sides and slowly regaining his confidence. He was enough for her, and he shouldn't let her get cold when they had one night to catch up on all the weeks they were apart.

"I didn't mean to panic like that," he started apologizing. "Let me make it up to you."

He pulled her closer, bending enough for their noses to brush, Luna shifting forward to meet him halfway. Their kiss was lazy and sweet, holding promises and sweet words and after three more kisses, Noctis found a way to get to his knees so he could lift her up, keeping her legs around him as he laid her down on the mattress.

His bad hand trembled against her stomach and she held it to her, welcoming him by ruffling his hair, moaning against his mouth.

"I'm going to need your cooperation so I can compensate for all that shaking."

"You're doing well right now," Luna complimented him.

His chuckle was almost nervous, but his next caress sent a jolt up her spine.

"Don't stop kissing me."

"Like I could…"

They'd lost count of how many kisses and nibbles had been exchanged, Luna laughing when his pointy hair tickled her neck, her voice shifting to a whine of pleasure as his mouth claimed one nipple, his right arm trembling against her back. Noctis was slow and deliberate in every gesture, giving her the notion she was being worshipped all over again. He was finding his new limits, finding just how much pressure he was ready to put on her so he could hold her closer with one ever-flinching and weakened arm.

Luna held him tenderly and possessively, aggreable to every attention, melting a little when he whispered how badly he'd missed having her between his arms. She knew from the way he touched her, from the way he tried to have every second stretch to infinity despite the fact he wanted to rush things so he could simply feel her.

"Noct…"

She couldn't help the familiar embarrassment when he lifted her hips, having removed her last piece of clothing with her help in between the earlier kissing. He leaned down on his elbows, his lips teasing her entrance. Parting her legs wider for him, Luna gasped as his fingers ghosted her folds, his eyes staring at her for much longer than his usual.

"Don't just…"

"There's nothing for you to be embarrassed about," he tried to soothe her violent blush, his eyes trained on her face, hiding his loving smile against her skin. "It's nothing I haven't seen before."

He was talking far too close to her, his words almost reverberating inside and she had half a mind to grab his hair and just…

"Is this your way of having me begging for it?"

His eyes shone with playfulness and Luna could have slapped herself for giving him such an occasion to tease her further.

"You feel like begging?"

"No. No, I've been patient, but…!"

He squeezed her ass with his right hand, his index finger passing just close enough to graze her clit, her breath catching.

"Why don't you tell me what you want, Luna?"

She whimpered despite every one of her efforts holding back from it, but that very sound was enough to kick him into action. His tongue felt rough against her, her heart jumping in her chest as his hold on her tightened even more. Like she would pull away from him when he…

Her legs wrapped around his chest, her fingers digging in his hair, her hips soon moving, Noctis taking her far, slowing down when he felt her too close, playing her like an instrument. She tried speaking up, her head sinking back into the pillows as she arched up, little tremors running up her nerves. It had been too long, she was too sensitive, it couldn't feel better than the other times, Noctis was always so attentive, but…

His tongue knew her too well, drawing an outright scream from her and he groaned in answer, so turned on he was afraid holding out until they were one might be too much to ask. Luna hadn't finished riding the full wave of her orgasm, Noctis shifting his hold on her, stroking her lower stomach with a trembling hand, their eyes meeting in a daze.

"I need you," he panted on the words, her knowing smile warming his heart.

"Please," she whispered, reaching for him.

There was barely any strength left in his right arm, but Noctis found an angle so he could hold her anyway, Luna insisting she could handle his weight on her. The first thrust was almost enough for him to melt into her arms, her hands grazing his torso, her thumb tweaking one of his nipples as he tried finding a rhythm that felt gentle enough.

"You can go faster," Luna told him.

"I keep thinking of the baby."

His voice wavered through the admission and her heart swelled.

"He's fine, silly. Focus on me."

"Okay. Okay, I… Lun…"

She clenched her muscles, effectively exacting a strangled moan from him, holding on to him as hard as she could, her nails digging into his shoulder blades when they finally reached a thundering climax. It took a long time for sanity to come back, Luna whining at the void she felt when he pulled away, rolling on his side with a light wince. His right arm had ended up buried under her, and his shoulder burned now.

"You okay?" his princess asked him.

"No. Far from it. My heart's missing," he managed, still catching up on his breath.

Luna made wide eyes at him, taken aback, moaning as he wrapped his good arm around her, her skin shivering as their chest brushed.

"There. That's a lot better."

He kissed her shoulder, ruffling her hair, Luna leaning into his touch, sighing in content.

"You're spoiling me."

"I love you. It entails a lot of spoiling."

"I love you too."

She hid her face in the hollow of his neck, her nose tickling him.

"Why the hiding?" he mused.

"I don't want to be away from you again. I always feel better in your arms."

"Luna…"

He held her closer, kissing the crown of her head.

"I only need a few more weeks," he tried reassuring her, as he realized she wasn't cheesy just to be cheesy. "But we need to make a decision about us."

Luna gently pushed against his chest to look into his eyes.

"About the wedding?"

"About the baby. The doctors recommended that you don't use magic. So making a covenant…"

She paled, sharing his worries.

"If we wait until our baby's born, I won't be able to do any covenant before a good year or two. I'm not going to give up my child to someone else's care if I can help it, but I don't want him born in a blighted world either."

Noctis understood her dilemma.

"You just took down the empire's entire fleet."

"And believe me, I am not summoning Leviathan again, unless I absolutely have to."

"That's good to hear. I have to admit, if we could leave for Lucis in a few days…" He struggled to find the right words, his shiver running up his good arm. "Ignis learned how my brother framed me." His breathing picked up at that, Luna growing utterly silent next to him. "And so did my father, which resulted…" A quiver ran through him, the princess holding her breath at the broken sound that came from his throat.

"My father was stabbed," he blurted out, his shaking taking over every limb, Luna instinctively holding him closer, her shocked gasp covered by the hiccupped sobs he was fighting against. "Ardyn Izunia made him a prisoner, apparently he needs him alive..."

"Oh lords… Why didn't you tell me about this right when you learned of it?!"

"You wanted me to tell my pregnant and daredevil of a girlfriend that I want to break through Insomnia and battle every one of its guards to rescue my father?"

"Why would you have to…?"

"All the news from Lucis is that my brother is out on his pilgrimage with our father's blessing. Ardyn can create illusions and has taken the King's appearance, so nobody but a handful of people know the truth."

For a moment, Luna simply laid there, trying to process all of these news, Noctis barely holding himself together next to her. When she could align her thoughts, she asked for a better explanation as to how Ignis knew any of this, Noctis telling her about Iris and the girl's outburst leading to the revelation. His anger and pain showed in the way his voice shifted and Luna hated herself for asking a single question once the situation was clearer.

"But your father is still…?"

"I don't know if Ardyn really needs him alive to keep up the pretenses. None of them does! I don't know anything outside of he's been hurt and captured by some monster…"

"Then there's no question, we're headed straight to Insomnia once in Lucis."

He shook his head, unable to resist the gentle tug on his head, curling his body around hers as he tried to contain the contradictory feelings growing inside.

"I don't want to risk you. You're my family now, Luna," he whispered against her skin.

His tears were warm, and she held him closer, her eyes spilling as the first sob racked through him.

"Which mean your father is my family. Or well, he'll be soon enough. Noct, you shouldn't have kept this to yourself. How can I be there for you if…?"

"I needed your arms around me if I was going to talk about it," he confessed.

"I'm sorry I wasn't with you right when…"

"You're the one being silly now, Luna. I'm not trying to guilt-trip you into saving my dad, I just want to make sure you'll stay safe."

"I'm safe with you, Noct."

His desperate whimper broke her heart a little.

"You know I can't…" he started apologizing.

"Stop selling yourself down like this!" Luna cut him off, giving him a slap in the shoulder to mark her words. "You have magic and you can still warp and you keep me sane, which is a feat in and of itself."

Noctis backed away, sitting up and crossing his arms if only to stop the shaking in his right hand, Luna raising herself up, holding up the sheet to cover her midriff, but not much else.

"You're almost three months along," he observed. "By the time we get in Lucis, either we realize the doctors lied to us, or you'll have a baby bump showing. You're a legend by now, but the empire will send whatever they have left against you."

"And we'll be fine. I got through drowning!"

He clenched his teeth, wondering if he'd ever be over that fact.

"There's nothing I can say that will convince you, is there?"

Luna shook her head stubbornly and Noctis heaved a sigh.

"Alright. We'll go to Lucis. Then we'll have to figure things out with Ignis. See what the situation is, how bad the last attacks from the empire were. If people throw rocks at me or not…"

"They won't with the Oracle next to you," Luna tried reassuring him.

"If they do, I'll cut down every last one of them. Or zap them with electricity I guess."

"Noct!"

"You've agreed to be my wife, Luna. I'll defend you twice as hard now."

She wanted to give him a warning, but she'd used violence to deal with the empire far too often to have a right to reprimand him. Plus, hearing him call her "his wife" did things to her.

"Is that a smile I see?" Noctis asked her, his stance relaxing a little more.

"I've had a lot of titles in my life, but I think that one could be my favorite. Being your wife."

She shuffled closer to him, Noctis pulling her in his lap without so much as a warning.

"You'd better not change your mind about me."

"How many times must I say yes before you believe me?"

"Hmm… I know a context in which the answer is… endlessly."

From the look in his eyes and the way he seductively raised one brow at her, Luna knew what he had in mind, her heart beating a little faster.

"We haven't reached an agreement yet…" she reminded him, her palm splayed against his chest in case she would have to calm hi ardor.

"Well, what's clear to me is my princess has her ways in every aspect of our partnership. So I'll take due compensation."

It seemed it would be some more time before they could find sleep or even look for it.

To be continued…

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Next chapter will see Cindy and Prompto making a truce, with some heavy angst on the horizon. I'd like to introduce Ignis (and Aranea) to Luna's team, but we'll have to wait and see how that goes. The whole situation with Regis will surely result in some spying mission to determine if there's still a King to be saved, and I really want to write about Gladio, Iris and Ravus dealing with that. Any thoughts?

Also, I'd like to thank the wonderful people who left me reviews for last chapter, it really warmed my heart and made my day. And a shout-out to Fuzzi_Fox who helped me once more with betareading this chapter. :D You guys are awesome!


	20. Wallowing gets you nowhere

This chapter warrants a trigger warning for allusion to rape, child abuse and while things are not hardcore, there are details down here that could make some readers uncomfortable.

This chapter kicks off with angsty silver/gold, angsty Ravus and Lunoct fluff to end on a good note.

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Stranded

Chapter 18 – Wallowing gets you nowhere

"Hey," Cindy tried speaking up as she saw Prompto sitting in the living room, toying with his camera instead of doing squats or push-ups for once.

Prompto nearly dropped his camera from the sheer shock of being greeted all of a sudden by the mechanic. He hadn't expected Cindy to linger around after Luna had left for her date.

"Hey," he greeted her back, clearly hesitant.

"Any cool new pics recently?"

He shrugged, slowly shifting a little further on the couch as she stepped into the room. It was meant to give her some space, but he noticed the way her eyes widened slightly. She was standing with her back tense and clenching her fingers too tightly, her knuckles white in between the bandages covering her cuts.

"Is… everything okay with you?"

Her panic only seemed to grow at that, Cindy looking around, crossing her arms for a few seconds as if to regain her countenance and shaking her head yes and no, settling for a shrug of her own.

"I don't want to bother you," she started. "I just thought I owed you… an apology for the last time we spoke."

Prompto couldn't help nodding his approval, fighting against a knot in his throat.

"How are pictures going to help with that?" he asked her, almost accusingly.

"I'm not really good with ice breakers," she admitted.

Her shoulders were drawn inwards, her hair tangled, and he'd noticed the dark bags beneath her eyes. It hurt to see her like this. Why did it still hurt?

"I could pick some ice for you to break," he whispered, wincing a little since he hadn't found an actual play on words to cut through the tension.

"I think I broke stuff enough as it is," Cindy admitted, sitting down on the neighboring couch.

Prompto shifted in his seat, his nervousness growing a little more at the heaviness hanging in the air. Cindy crossed her legs, wearing a baggy long-sleeved shirt with shorts that went as far as her knees. It seemed too long for her, but the gunman wasn't going to comment on it. He still desperately wanted the tensed silence to end.

"You've turned into quite the klutz," he tried, glad to see her brief but still-there smile.

She hit her thighs with both hands, as though she was making up her mind and Prompto carefully put his camera back on the table, trying to get his imagination under control as to what she could say when her mouth parted open.

"I'm sorry for reacting so badly. Those words triggered... a lot of bad memories."

"Figured as much," he groaned despite how calm he tried to remain.

Cindy sighed, wringing her fingers together, her lips almost disappearing from how hard she was pinching them.

"What I said about pitying you…" she began, making him flinch a little.

It might have been the cruelest part of her rejection and if there was a moment to summon the walls he usually held around his heart, this was it, but Prompto sensed vulnerability from her on-top of her guilt.

"I've had a pretty pitiful life so far, so there's no need to feel bad."

"I still hurt you. And I am very sorry."

"How am I supposed to answer to that?"

"There's no answer needed. I don't want to defend my case or even hear that you forgive me. I mean, I'd like that, but…"

"Which one? Defending your case?"

He wasn't ready to forgive her, but he'd be damned to pass up the occasion of understanding her better. She still interested him. He missed her warmth in his bed on the longer nights, which was why he desperately tried to make himself too exhausted to toss and turn around for more than a few minutes.

"You want me to?"

Their eyes locked together as she spelled out her question, Prompto realizing the first answers coming to his mind were about many other wants beyond getting answers from her. But the whole apology was by no means a signal that she was interested in "getting back together", was it? She blushed a little as he simply nodded, her hands flattening against her thighs and mindlessly toying with the fabric of her shorts.

"It's… It goes way back and is not something I've opened up about to many people…"

"If you're not comfortable…" he started offering.

"I'm not," she cut him off instantly, her voice rising high enough for him to jump in surprise. "I'm not," she repeated a bit more slowly this time, her arms drawn in, tightly wound around herself, "but I might never be and maybe getting it off my chest would help…"

A shiver ran through her shoulders and Prompto fought against his urge to step up till he could sit next to her. She needed space and he needed it too. She was starting to remind him of a wounded animal, who'd been trapped for too long. The knot in his throat was so large, the fact his voice was loud enough to be heard surprised him.

"Three words and you lose all ability to use tools without hurting yourself half the time?"

Cindy hung her head, nodding weakly. She'd stopped playing with the fabric of her shorts, her nails digging into it instead. As though she needed a small amount of pain to handle this conversation.

"Maybe I'm the pathetic one."

"I'll take you on," Prompto suggested, unable to take his eyes off her. She had started rocking herself from side to side and he knew those signs. She looked about ready to jump out of her own skin. Her nervous movement stopped as she frowned, trying to figure out what he could have been meaning.

"Like… a competition?"

"Surely I can find a secret dark enough to make you a little more comfortable about speaking up. How far back should I go?"

Her nervous reply almost sounded like a question and it was endearing and distressing all at the same time. "You don't have to?"

Prompto cleared his throat, careful of keeping his eyes open to keep the pictures coming with the memory at bay.

"I spent three months unable to eat by myself. I was plugged into so many machines, it felt like I wasn't even a living being anymore. I can still hear them beeping sometimes when I fall out of focus."

"Why would they even…?!"

"A few of us clones served as organ donors for the best models. And our father tested out whether he could cultivate fresh organs in a few of us after removal. More efficient I guess."

Cindy looked ready to faint now, Prompto realizing this might have been too dark a memory.

"I lack a kidney and that's about it," he said, hoping it would help.

"Three months?" she repeated, a hand pressed against her neck.

"They grew me in a tube for most of my infancy, so it's not like it was that bad. I could have grown that missing kidney back and developed cancer like the others…"

"Prompto."

"I'm pretty bad at this…" he sighed, running one hand through his hair.

"No. No, it's just… scary that you can bring up such a story just like that," she said, trying to snap her fingers and failing thanks to the bandages on her thumb. "And be so calm about it."

"I'm not saying it was nice. But do you really want details?"

Cindy shook her head wildly and he scratched at the back of his neck, not sure what else he could say. The silence came back, almost heavier than before.

"I have more, but I don't think it's helping…"

She gave him a weak smile.

"How did you feel during those three months?"

That gave him pause and his throat was too tight when he answered, being as truthful as he could.

"It wasn't quite different from the usual worthlessness I had to go through. But I was very helpless. I had tubes poking literally everywhere. The nurses called me by my number. I couldn't move. Couldn't see my mom either. I could barely talk, so no screaming. Might sound crazy, but screaming helps a lot with pain. At least, it did when I was a child."

"Wait… When was…?"

"I wasn't ten yet, it's all I know. I think they kept me open for half a month to have better access and I could see the bodies of the failed experiments being rolled out every few weeks. If I hadn't been on drugs, I might have gone mad."

He had been staring at his hands as the memories came back, flooding his senses an instant and it was Cindy's strangled gasp that brought him back to the present.

"Oh my gods… That's…"

"My sample of a pitiful life. I have more where this one came from, but I don't think you want to hear it."

"Prom…"

"You can call me 3234."

Her nervous laugh barely eased his nerves, Cindy replacing a strand of hair behind one ear before joining her hands in her lap.

"I don't think I can hear more. But I can offer a sample of my past too, if only to make this fair. I… I was about 6, maybe 7. Should have been starting grade school if I wasn't self-tutored because my paw-paw moved all over the world with me in toe."

Prompto thought he'd been ready, but he'd been fooling himself. His eyes blinked as she went on and held herself a little tighter, forcing her voice to stay even.

"My grandfather had to work a lot and would let his friends look after me when he couldn't. One of them… He called himself my uncle. Insisted on buying me dresses and girly stuff. And taking me to his room so I could try whichever ensemble he had prepared for me."

The look in her eyes told him she couldn't handle being interrupted and he listened, biting on his tongue as he paled a little more.

"He said he loved me and called me Cin all the time. He called the time we spend together our little experiments. He'd pick any object he'd fancy at the moment, a glass, a bottle, the hilt of a hammer…"

Prompto shook his head as she gestured to herself, her voice shifting.

"It's very hard to explain why you have splinters in your thighs. He'd made me bite on my own hands so I wouldn't make a noise and I actually broke a finger one time. It's still crooked," she explained, lifting her right hand and raising her ring finger.

"Damn… That's…"

He had no words, but she had a few left in her.

"I never told my grandfather, because that…" her whole frame trembled, Cindy quickly collecting herself, digging her nails into her thigh once more. "…that _man_ had convinced me it was my fault. How was I supposed to know any better?" she let out a self-derisive laugh, Prompto shaking from the sheer effort of staying where he was. Something was burning inside of him, a violent need to shelter her, because this… No one should ever have to go through such manipulation and abuse.

"He'd say I liked it," she went on, the trembling ruling over her voice. "He would repeat it over and over. I was the only kid around those gangs. It stopped with the bastard dying in some freak accident, I don't know if my luck had turned or…"

She licked her lips, too pale for comfort and there was no need to say more. Had her grandfather killed that monster to protect her?

"Shit, Cindy."

"I have been able to be with guys since that. I can do sex, I mean, I'm mostly over this crap."

"So what? You freak out when a guy respects you?"

She let out a shaky breath, biting her lips as she blinked too quickly and nodded to his question.

"It's pathetic and wrong, I know it. I don't want to be… Those three words _terrify_ me. It's like a part of my brain is broken and no matter how many things I fix…"

His heart ached to step across the room and hold her, but he was too scared to move.

"Did I… I reminded you of that bastard?"

She shook her head harder.

"I said you triggered memories, but I wouldn't have allowed you to get that close if… You're nice and careful with me. Even gentle and I don't know how to handle it. I've felt out of place and wrong, so I wanted to help you, but as things shifted, I started wanting more than the simple fling I normally allow myself. But you saw how I was just from a freaking confession!"

He could see the tears in her eyes and she was blinking so much, it was hard to tell whether she could still see him or not. His throat was a knotted ball of yarn with needles prickling him from the inside and his heart…

"Tell me you didn't keep that to yourself all this time."

Her head started nodding, bringing his heart to a thundering halt. She trusted him or well felt bad enough to open up about such a thing to him?

"Not even Luna?!"

"I'm more than just a victim!" she tried defending herself, as though she needed to.

Prompto couldn't stand still any longer, crossing over to her in a heartbeat, breaking a little more as she gasped at his approach.

"Can I hug you? I… I can't stand…"

"You should hate me," Cindy protested. "I was supposed to apologize, not… turn on your pity switch."

"You've been having nightmares, haven't you?"

"So have you," she shot back, angrily drying her eyes with her sleeve.

"Cindy, please. What I hate the most is seeing you in such a state. I swear I'll stop at comforting you, I…"

Her sobs got stronger at that and she reached out for him, muttering his name as best as she could despite her uneven voice.

"I'm scared, Prompto. I think I like you and I'm terrified and such an awful person for feeling like that."

He could feel her tears on his shirt and her hands holding on to him for dear life as a hurricane of emotions wreak through the both of them. He kneeled on the couch by her side, hugging her close, his gestures tentative and his heart a quivering mess as his mind still processed what she'd said. People being nice scared her. She might like him and it scared her and it wasn't because he was a clone, it was because her views on relationships had been skewed and eroded so badly…

"Does… Is liking you okay?"

"I evade you for weeks and with just one sob-story you…?"

"I'm trying to find a balance," Prompto tried reassuring her.

It was like their roles had been switched. He'd always been the one in clear distress and suddenly it was her and he hated it.

"I want to be fine. I'm sorry, I should be fine, I'm over this, I just thought… You needed to know, I'll be fine, I don't need you to care…"

 _But if I like you, that means I want to be better than what I was made into._

"Hey, listen to me, okay? Stuff in our past can still hurt. It's okay if you do. Friends are there to help when we're down, aren't they?"

She desperately tried to halt her crying, blinking furiously and parting from him with her hands sheltering her face from view, mostly to hide her pathetic sniffling.

"Friends?"

"If that's okay with you?"

A question died in the back of her throat, Cindy wondering if it was his way of telling her she wasn't forgiven yet. That would only be fair. She hadn't meant to ask for forgiveness by sharing this part of her past. She nodded her approval, her arms tentatively reaching out for him. He hugged her, comforted by the fact she returned his embrace. She still felt the need to apologize but soon enough, her sobs died down, the pair simply sitting there, snuggled close.

"Can we stay like this for a bit longer?" she found herself asking.

"Sure."

He shifted around a little to be more comfortable, clearly unsure of how close he could hold her.

"You don't need to be extra delicate with me, you know?"

"What if I want to? Plus, that way I can ask that you're gentle with me too," he observed, the teasing in his voice only half there. "Like, maybe don't evade me until you need to confess the worst thing you've been through in your life?"

"You're actually… the first person I've told about this."

His breath caught a little. This meant a lot and he wasn't sure how to respond.

"I'm glad if I could help you, Cin…dy," he winced at his omission. "Sorry."

Her laugh came out at that, her hair brushing against his neck as she shook her head.

"There you have it. Don't be awkward about it, Prompto. I let Luna get away with the nickname."

"I don't want to use it if it makes you feel bad."

"I guess we need a new nickname then."

She didn't make any suggestion and Prompto reflected upon it for a moment, inspiration coming right when he was about to give up.

"How about Dee?"

Cindy had to look up at him, and since she didn't back away that much from her spot between his arms, their faces ended up far too close for comfort, but it was Prompto who blushed the most while she smiled at him.

"I like it."

He grinned, biting back on his impression that she looked like a little girl. He didn't want to let his imagination paint a picture of what she'd been through when she was a vulnerable child. It was far too easy thanks to his own messed-up childhood and he wanted to erase those memories from her mind. Maybe that way the pictures could leave him too one day. This nickname he'd picked for her was a first step in that direction.

"Alright then, Dee. My legs are getting numb so what do you say we take our minds off with some abject tv show?"

"Plan approved."

It felt a bit awkward as they parted from each other's embrace, neither of them sure of how they should consider the other. Prompto was holding her darkest secret and she'd seen him beyond vulnerable time and again. Reaching the previous intimacy they'd shared would be hard and he wasn't sure she wanted it. He had her trust and as they sat side by side on the other couch to turn on the TV, they both realized she had to earn his trust back. What they needed was time.

…

Ravus had known Galdyn Quay was an expensive place to stay in, but he'd never expected he'd have to camp next to it instead of taking the cheapest room. He had left the capital with some money, but since Ignis wasn't there to keep it balanced and they had no idea how long their trip would last, Gladiolus had insisted on being reasonable for the time being. Iris and her brother had been keeping to themselves most of the time and Ravus knew they were planning something. Iris had insisted on training with him for three hours every single day for the past week and while she kicked his butt a few times, it was clear she wanted to hone her skills.

Gladiolus had been training on his own or taking on small hunts by himself. He was keeping his distance with the prince and it was pretty clear what would happen to Ravus if his bodyguard lost his cool another time. A few of their dinners had been butchered creatures, Iris looking pale as she prepared them.

Ravus had fixed his broken wrist and ribs with a boosted energy drink, mixing far more ingredients than his father ever suggested was healthy. He needed enhancers to keep up with Iris during the training, spending his nights reading by the campfire instead of sleeping. His brother had been judged worthy by their ancestors, the axe of the conqueror and the sword of the wise gone from their respective tombs. That had to mean Ravus was unworthy, since Regis had never mentioned anything about sharing the royal arms.

Thinking about his father hurt a little more every day. If he hadn't been feeling so defeated, Ravus would have run back to Insomnia already. But that was the best way to alert Ardyn. Through his readings and researching, Ravus was trying to put a few things together. He'd been wrong about too many things not to go back over the basics. Reading over the Astrals was almost comforting, despite the idea his brother was probably allied with a god-summoner right now.

 _He's hurt too. He's too far to save our dad and half crippled because you were too selfish to see your family for what it was._

Was jealousy so integrant to his heart, there was nothing else he could feel? He'd missed Noctis time and again, but the things he'd done had broken every bridge remaining between them and now…

He dreaded the idea of seeing him again. Ignis rushing off to warn Noctis about the current situation was bound to result in his older brother's return.

 _I can't have him picking up after my messes like I always did,_ Ravus thought angrily.

"Rave, it's your turn to feed the birds," Iris called out to him.

He'd been daydreaming on his own little rock, looking out to the sea stretching forever, wondering just how far Altissia really was. He knew the distance, he'd seen the maps, but it felt as though he knew nothing anymore. He shifted to his feet, holding back a grunt and tried catching Iris's eyes, but she was already focusing on dinner. Their talks were few and curt. Her initial pity was shifting to a mix of resentment and contrite compassion. He had no idea what to tell her or what feat he could pull off to right things up.

Losing her was worse than losing himself. His mind was teetering by the edge of depression and self-harm, Ravus resenting himself more and more with each passing day. He'd been wrong. He was wrong in every sense of the word… Walking up to the birds, he tried to muster less self-derisive thoughts. At the very least, the chocobos kweeed when he gave them attention. His mount was very gentle and quiet, almost too patient with him since Ravus had been losing focus far more than he should have. But he'd been lacking in everything else, why not stay on the fail train longer?

"Don't drag your feet," he warned himself.

Iris needed more out of him and he needed some sort of accomplishment outside of riding after the Amicitias without falling off the saddle or helping a few nobodies with their broken cars.

 _Even my thoughts are condescending…_

He barely held back a sigh, emptying the gysahl greens in front of the birds, the saline air rushing around him, stinging his eyes. Galdyn was too warm, too sunny for his state of mind and Gladio insisted on staying here unless Ravus decided he wanted to get another royal arm. They had a choice between the Balouve Mines and heading to Duscae, which mean getting further away from Insomnia and leaving their family and loved ones on their own.

"What are you daydreaming about again?" Gladio barked at him.

Ravus almost jumped in fright, fighting against his instinctive urge to hide behind the chocobo at the giant's approach.

"I…"

He'd been blurting half a sound so much lately, Ravus worried he might be stuck in a perpetual cowering disposition now.

"You need your butt kicked to find your authority once more?!"

"Lay off me, will you? It's not like you weren't a jerk with me every now and then in the past 13 years. No need to push yourself with payback when you just drop me off a cliff."

"I'm tired of hearing those invitations to cripple you. I'm still your bodyguard. And you're well on your way to look like a freaking corpse."

His disapproval was clear and Ravus was left to wonder how Gladio could be this loyal after what he'd done to him? How could he muster the will to even care anymore? Every time Ravus saw his own reflection, he wanted to punch it into tiny fragments of himself. Until his own body could be as small as he felt. And he was angry at himself for giving up like this.

Betraying his family and friends couldn't be all there was to him. But falling into abject self-depreciation and the need to lower himself so he could hide along ants couldn't be the real him either. He was a prince, he was supposed to be strong, in control, dashing and charming and reliable.

 _How does someone become reliable?_ he wondered.

Walking back up to the camp, he held his shoulders out and his head higher, realizing his neck was hurting from all the looking down and away from his travel companions.

"Hey, Iris?"

She looked at him, her eyes a little wide. She had been sorting through their ingredients but had not started preparing dinner just yet.

"Yes?"

"Would you… come fishing with me? A change on the menu could be nice."

Iris frowned, although the hint of a smile was showing on her face.

"You never liked fishing," she observed.

"But you do, and I'll clean up the fish for you."

He hated how eager he sounded, but the fact she hadn't thrown his offer down already gave him hope.

"All of them?"

Her smile was clear now and Ravus simply nodded in answer.

"We do have fishing rods packed up."

"I'll get everything we need and carry it," he instantly offered.

"Alright, I'll find a basket or something. Gladio, you'll be fine without us?"

Gladiolus grunted in response, focusing on applying some ointment on his leg. His hunt had gone well, but he needed to trust in them more and stop acting solo.

The teenagers gathered everything they need, which wasn't exactly much and made the brief walk to the quay next to the fishing store.

"You're not pushing yourself for my sake, are you?"

"The idea just came on me all of a sudden. I'm glad you agreed."

"Seeing you in motion is quite an improvement, Rave."

"I guess that's a start, huh?"

Upon sitting down and preparing their lines, Iris couldn't help teasing him. He lacked the knowledge of which lure was better for the fish out there in Galdyn's waters and since he'd suggested the activity himself, he handled her teasing much better than normally. Once their line were cast, Ravus remembered why he hated fishing. He wasn't quite patient, but the contemplation was appealing.

Iris caught a fish after a mere ten minutes, while his line stubbornly remained still.

"You sure you can handle this?" Iris asked, pushing her shoulder into his arm cheekily. Instinctively, he reached out to wrap an arm around her, freezing mid-gesture as he remembered he had yet to be forgiven.

Iris shook her head at him.

"I'm not going to fall off."

"I know that! Sorry," he quickly added, feeling sheepish. Iris encouraged him with a simple nod and he went on, his voice a lot calmer this time, "I think I need this. Something to help me calm down even for a bit."

He also needed more of her smiles and at least one bear hug from her, but Ravus knew better than to push his luck.

"Then try relaxing a little."

He did try, hard, and for about 20 minutes, they sat in companionable silence. A fish bit and he somehow landed it with only a little of her help, but was forced to let the small creature back into the water, since it was far too small to make up a decent meal.

"Guess you're off the hook if you're brilliant enough to not bite again, barramundi."

Iris laughed at that, to the point she had to put her rod in his hands until she found her breath again.

"What?"

"It felt really out of character. And you looked so disappointed."

"I'd like to make a good catch…" he pouted, her laugh stretching at the sight.

But as he turned the idea in his head of being left off the hook, he understood where his deception was coming.

"I've been quite a fool with Ardyn, haven't I? Buying to every one of his words."

Her face fell, the young girl heaving a long breath.

"I had told you the man was creepy."

"I could see that. I thought I saw everything, but he baited me and I bit."

"Not quite perceptive of you, but he did fool your father all this time to be on the council."

Ravus sighed, understanding these were the only consoling words he might get.

"I really suck, moping about my sorry ass even now."

"Rave…"

"Don't say my name like that."

"Like what?"

"I know you care, Iris. You're an angel to do so and… hearing you say my name like that has always made me want to kiss you," he admitted.

He entirely gave up on looking at his line, turning his head to her, taking in her light blush and the way she quickly shook her head in the hope her flush would die down.

"I can handle a peek on the cheek," she declared, worrying her lower lip. "I meant it when I said I still love you. I'm just… going to need time."

"I intend to respect that. I'm so grateful you're willing to stick with me."

"Hard not to when you look about ready to break at a moment's notice."

"Ouch. I'll work on that."

"I know you will. Beneath everything you throw at the outside world, you're a nice person."

"Don't hold back for my sake."

She had a retort ready for him, but her line pulled hard enough to snap her attention back to the water. She'd been leaning forward more than intended at first and was surprised by a violent tug, yelping at the force of the fish pulling against her. Ravus reacted without thinking, letting go of his own rod to steady her with both arms.

"Careful, it'll pull us both at this rate."

"No way, I got you."

All his uncertainty was gone and at that moment, she recognized the Ravus she knew. The guy she knew would always have her back. Another violent tug and she let the line go as far as she dared, Ravus holding her as she leaned to the side.

"That thing's a monster."

"Let's call it dinner!" Iris retorted, focusing on her reeling and coordination.

When the fish finally broke the surface, they both gaped at its size, redoubling their combined effort to reel him in. By the time it was out of the water, Ravus was kneeling by her side on the quay, one hand helping her grip on the reel, his other arm tightly wound around her waist. They were panting a little, Iris leaning back into him after slamming her fist against the fish's head.

"It's like… 45 inches?"

"No way I can beat that."

"No way Gladio can eat it all by himself!" she laughed.

And for the smallest moment, it felt like nothing had changed between them. No trust was broken, and they were just best friends sharing an exciting catch.

…

Luna woke up with a warm body pressed against her, cocooned in the embrace of her fiancé and feeling just the kind of soreness she'd come to like since she'd meet Noctis. She was exhausted and would need a couple of naps to get back to her feet, but she was grateful for the night and wouldn't gave back even a second of it in exchange for sleep.

Noctis breathing was quiet, his snoring light but persistent enough to keep her awake. She tried pushing into his shoulder a little, hoping that could help, because while quite comfortable, she would have liked to drift to sleep once more. The snores stopped altogether, but she could tell he was waking up from the slight movement and the way his left arm pulled her closer to him.

"Morning," she whispered.

"Morning," he sighed against her neck.

His warm breath gave her goosebumps and she started shuffling around to get a peek at his face, only to freeze almost instantly.

"Are you okay?"

"I feel… ill."

Noctis gestured to pull away from her, which had her instantly pleading to stay where he was.

"If I move, I'll throw up."

"Which mean I should get you a bucket or something…"

"I don't want to be sick. What sort of timing is that?"

"Luna, you're pregnant. Getting a little morning sickness would be normal."

"But I haven't been sick once!"

Noctis didn't insist, carefully holding her, brushing her hair as she fought against the uncomfortable feeling.

"I'm not going to feel insulted or anything if that's what you're worried about."

"I'll be fine. Keep me distracted."

Noctis wondered for a few seconds, kissing her ear before to tell her his ideas.

"Maybe we should talk about the baby actually. Or the wedding. Yesterday, we skipped both of those questions."

"Wedding first. Although… I'm not sure where we should have it…"

"We're talking about something small, right? You and me, Cindy, Prompto, my friend Ignis and whoever is presiding the ceremony."

"I'd prefer it small too. I don't want the empire jumping on us. If there hadn't been Leviathan, I'd say I would have love it here, but… Maybe you know places in Lucis that would work better?"

It took him a second to think of the perfect spot.

"There's a grove hidden in Duscae. It's a pretty magical space. Once swept off all the daemons lurking inside."

"That sounds exciting!"

Luna shifted a little too quickly to smile at him, her face turning a little green at the motion.

"Oh please, I was doing so well."

She held her stomach with one hand and covered her mouth with the other one.

"Luna, it's okay."

"Tell me about Lucis. Any other people you'd like to be there?"

"Well, it'd be nice to have my father with us. I know he's going to love you. But I don't think it'll be possible." He quickly added, to make sure her mood would darken for too long, "you don't want to invite anyone else? Monica maybe?"

"I need her to look after Tenebrae. And I'll have Cindy and you. I think I might ask Shiva to officiate for us. This way we don't need to find a lawman and bribe him into secrecy."

"People will know you're my wife, Luna. But I agree that keeping it to ourselves will be better for the time being."

She squeezed his hand, shivering under the bright look in his eyes. His love for her was almost pouring out from his body and it still amazed her.

"How long would it take to reach that grove?"

"A couple weeks," he grimaced. "We already have a car for us in Lucis, Ignis made sure of that. I don't think you should ride chocobos in your state."

"Oh, it's started," Luna rolled her eyes at him. "Don't go believing I'm going to stop being myself just because I'm pregnant."

"I know that already. Which means I must look after you from even closer."

"Noct…"

"I don't think I'm overbearing yet. I just want you safe. Both of you."

His hand covered her abdomen.

"I hope I won't look like a balloon by the time we have everything ready for the wedding to happen."

"You're barely showing yet. Let me have a good look at you."

"You looked at me plenty last night," she tried protesting despite laughing.

"I might never see you enough."

Noctis pulled the sheets off them both, raising himself on one elbow to detail everything he could about her. His bad hand traced her ribs, the under-curve of her left breast, the flat dip of her navel. Luna shivered, wondering how his loving stare could make her feel this warm even she was exposed to the colder air of the room.

He found a red spot on one of her thighs, frowning a little.

"That's not my doing, is it?"

Luna stretched her neck, raising her leg a little, barely noticing the sickness was gone.

"That's… just the beginning of a zit. They've been sprouting all over me unless I use cream. I must have forgotten with how excited I was about our date."

"There's no need to feel so self-aware. I'm far from flawless."

"My skin is already transparent in enough spaces, I don't need bumps except for the future baby bump. But my hormones are all over the place and the doctors said it was normal."

"I love you, Luna. Don't go forgetting it."

"I shall try. You know I love you, Noct?"

"I tend to forget," he teased her, his hand stroking the pale hairs pointing between her legs.

Her eyes widened as the touch shifted further south, Luna gripping his wrist to halt him before he could have her losing her mind again.

"Am I the only one with sore hips?" she asked, blushing.

"I hurt everywhere," Noctis admitted. "But it's my favorite kind of pain."

Her blush only grew to a full flush, reaching her collarbone in that way he'd always found adorable.

"What's alluring about hearing me say I want to throw up first thing in the morning?"

"Thinking you're slowly building us a child. That my seed took root inside of you and that you're willing to be mine."

She blinked, her face too warm.

"You don't know what to say, Lun?"

She shook her head no and then yes, her smile tentative as she fought against too many overwhelming feelings. One month ago, he couldn't care for the baby, but she knew he didn't force the tenderness in his voice right now. He wanted to enjoy every minute with her, they were still riding on the wave of being alive after the violent encounters they'd been through.

"Can you hold me, my love?"

The pet name struck him, his grin melting a little.

"Always, Luna."

To be continued…

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And another chapter done! I have been meaning to write on Unexpected more, and have been working on Crystal ties, but Stranded is at a really nice stage for the Noct/Luna. I also happen to have a shitload of work on my hands right now and am stressed out, so my updates will remain infrequent as I try to stay afloat and catch some advance upon my thesis work.

I hope you liked this chapter. 😊


	21. We're headed back home

A wild chapter has appeared! It's been sometime, but December has been one hectic month for me and I ended up not having much time to write. I've been trying to refresh myself and I direly need to finish a few FFXV fics since I have a new idea for yet another one – this machine can't ever stop- and in the meantime, this story isn't any closer to its end. Although things are moving on. Today we have bromance, friendship, planning, Lunoct smut and fluff and I can say this is the last chapter of this fic taking place in Altissia! Enjoy!

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Stranded

Chapter 19 – We're headed back home

The shackles clattered in turns with the consecutive hits of the stick. It was the same pattern every time. The King had no way to tell whether it was morning, midday or night. His cell was dark-stone walls, bathing him in cold and dampness that had sunk deeply into his bones. Blood kept dripping on the floor, despite the healing that had been done, forcibly so if someone were to ask Regis.

"Up, up, up," Ardyn called. "Which face would rouse you today, your highness? Amicitia? The young prince maybe? Or your destitute son?"

Regis groaned in answer, pulling on the chains that kept him up. They were attached to the middle of the ceiling, keeping him dangling in the air, his back nearly scrapping against the nearest wall, his hands aching and arms sore from staying up and above his head for too long. His knees were locked in place, his bad leg giving out every few hours and the chains keeping his arms made it impossible to properly breathe when he wasn't standing. Which meant he had to raise himself back up whenever his chest started constricting too much. The pain dormant in his bad leg was pulsing through his entire body with every heartbeat and he wasn't sure he could still move his toes at this point. He felt like a sack of bones, his muscles aching as he pulled himself up. His neck hurt, his head heavy no matter on which side he leaned. If only he could have rested against the wall, he would have welcomed the mold and trickles of water along his spine if that meant breathing and saving his bad leg for just a bit.

The counsellor's hand touched his bare chest, toying with the white hairs, pulling on the bits caked with dry blood, fingers pulsing with dark light. He drew more blood with a single nail, letting his magic run wild, fixing the internal bleeding but not closing the wound. He never closed any of the wounds he left on the King.

Regis grit his teeth, wondering how long he would remain here, revitalized and bullied by the man he'd mistakenly let into his home.

"How about your wife? I heard she was quite the tomboy."

"Leave me be," the King managed, his jaw so tense, his tendons looking ready to snap.

"I miss the questions and the insults, hundred and fourteenth."

"And I miss eating actual food. How long do you intend to keep me here?"

Ardyn smirked, patting him on the cheek a bit too roughly.

"As long as your face keeps me on the throne."

It had been a good week already, of being kept alive with dark magic and pain.

"I should sew a few chains in your flesh, maybe you'd realize what a good host I am to you."

With a twist of the hand, Ardyn moved the dagger he'd used to stab him. He'd removed it from Regis's side, but the wound remained gaping and the blade had been wrapped in darkness, kept afloat just a few feet away from the old King. It felt like the metal was still digging into him and Regis could barely handle the constant pressure. His own powers had been reduced to a shadow of themselves, he couldn't phase, couldn't muster even one piece of his armiger. All he could do was hurt and worry, hoping his jailor would eventually make a slip. And Ardyn's only slip so far had been to strike him in the throne room. The King was forced to watch him leave after every visit, wearing his crown, his beard, his face and his very skin, laughing to himself as he pretended to dive back into the role. To think Ravus had believed that man's lies and helped forsake Noct.

 _I've been a fool. Leading my dear boys to hate, the one thing I never wanted for them._

It was hard to say if that punishment was large enough for his sins. But if he could even have one minute out, Regis was ready to make amend. All he needed was a second chance. Being granted one seemed improbable at best. And while his blood pulsed and his pain grew, his hope dimmed a little more.

"Careful, Reggie. Only you can keep up the wall."

Ardyn held a small knife in his hands, the tip thinner than a sheet of paper. He could materialize anything he imagined, and Regis was left to watch as the sharp blade dug into his flesh.

 _WALL-MAKER_ was etched across his sternum in wide, irregular letters.

"So keep it up, highny, unless you want a worse title. Or do you need incentive? I'm certain I can…"

"If keeping the wall up is the only reason you let me live, I don't think you could find any better incentive."

"He can be smart after all," Ardyn mused. "I suggest passing on that treat if you ever consider having another kid. You did a poor job with the first two."

Regis bit his own tongue as rage filled him. His boys were brilliant. Ravus… Ravus just had to be misguided, hadn't he? His armiger flickered to life and the counsellor took it as his cue to leave. With the door closing behind him, the remnants of half-materialized weapons vanished into the void once more. And for the nth time in a week, Regis wished he could follow them.

…

Noctis pushed against the weights, his shoulder burning. He was starting the last stage of his training a bit earlier than expected and the pain threatened to make him faint from the first exercise.

"Don't go too fast. You know it's not about the weight as much as the gesture."

The familiar voice had him looking up from the machine, his right hand twitching against the weight.

"Iggy!"

"I hope I'm not distracting you. I was just wondering how the planning was going and your trainer told me I would find you here."

"Tired of Altissia or getting restless after your sex marathon?" the prince retorted with a smirk.

Ignis shrugged, pretending he hadn't heard the last part.

"I've been trying to get information from Lucis, but my network isn't working as it used to."

Noctis's face instantly fell, his thoughts turning back to his father, his brother and everything he had yet to learn about his family.

"The long distance is proving to be a problem?"

"I believe that a few of my informers have sensed the current disturbance in the crown city and are laying low. I can count on only one person to get us intel on the real King, and that's Libertus."

"That Glaive? Why not your…?"

"He's loyal to your father, not your brother and that's very important right now, Noct."

"Who's loyal to my brother at this point?"

Ignis grimaced, biting back on an apology for hitting a sore spot.

"That's one answer you don't want, and I don't have it anyway. I did mention Gladio broke his wrist?"

Noctis chuckled at that.

"He'd better left some part of him safe so I can bruise him up myself."

"I'll be sure to let him know when we depart."

The exiled prince bit his lower lip, understanding they needed to sit down with Luna and determine the soonest they could leave.

"It's about time I introduce you to my princess and fiancée."

"Who are you and what have you done to the Noct I used to know?" Ignis teased him.

"I'm just less gloomy," the prince shot back, smiling too.

Most of their lightheartedness was gone when both men found themselves standing in front of the door leading to the suite where Lunafreya, Cindy and Prompto were all staying.

"There's no reason to be nervous," Noctis assured his friend. "I know Luna will like you."

Ignis wasn't sure how he felt about dumping one royal family to serve another one. He wanted to offer his help to Noctis, to make up for not following him before, but he knew his position could raise controversy in the eyes of the Tenebrean princess. He loved a Nifelheimer and if Aranea couldn't be welcomed in the group, he would help Noctis from afar.

Luna was the only one waiting for them in the living room, with a full tea serving on the living room table, the Oracle all curled up in a warm blanket, reading a book. She jumped slightly at their entrance, her eyes widening in alarm as she realized just how disheveled and unprincesslike she had to be looking, but Noctis smiled so fondly at her, she forgot her worries and smiled back, welcoming them with a small wave. Ignis offered a small bow while Noctis walked up to his princess.

"I thought you were never cold?" he remarked with a raised brow.

"When I ache all over, I like to be a tad warmer," Luna shot back, pushing her shoulders outward to look as imposing as she could with her thin frame. But her eyes were still warm when they turned to Ignis. "I'm very glad to finally meet you, Mr. Scientia."

"Good gods, lady Lunafreya," the advisor greeted back. "I'd prefer if you called me Ignis. And it's my pleasure to be graced with the presence of the lady who stole my best friend's heart."

She blushed and was glad for Noctis helping her out of the blanket and between his arms, giving her a gentle peck on the lips, which helped cover up the reason for her blush. The couple settled back on the same couch, Luna accepting to sit in her fiancé's lap, lacing her fingers with his as she gestured for Ignis to sit across from them with her free hand. The fact Noctis was this comfortable to display affection for her had to mean how close of a friend Ignis was to him and how much he trusted the guy.

"Then, you must call me Luna, Ignis."

They exchanged a nod, unsure of what else could be said to break the ice. Which reminded Ignis of ice and the extent of what this Oracle could do.

"It's my understanding you have an arrangement with Noctis about those covenants. I saw what you did to the Nif fleet and it was… beyond impressive."

Luna shivered between Noctis's arms, paling despite the strong front she wanted to put on.

"All that damage was long overdue. I sadly don't have much to go on as to what you can do, outside of being a genius tactician and outstanding cook."

Ignis leaned back in his chair, shaking his head at Noctis.

"That's some high praise. I always saw myself more as a henchman to either of the Lucian princes."

The humor was clear in his voice, but Noctis barely smiled, knowing how much truth hid behind those words.

"You were more than that. But he won't let us praise him. Iggy'd rather lurk in dark, moldy libraries than be under the spotlight."

Luna chuckled, giving a playful slap to Noctis's good knee.

"You're making him uncomfortable, Noct."

Ignis instantly stopped scratching at his neck, only noticing the nervous gesture as the princess pointed it out. He was impressed by how heartwarming the little scene playing out before him was. The love between the pair of royals was so clear, he felt out of place, almost like a voyeur.

"I take it you two have been missing each other, even though you last met less than 3 days ago," he commented with a light smirk.

"I don't have your patience," Noctis sighed.

He punctuated his words with a nibble to Luna's ear, which seemed to be crossing the line even for her.

"Noct, please, if you can't behave, I'll sit on the other couch!"

Delaying the serious part of the talk could only go so far.

"So…" he started.

"How have you been feeling, lady Luna?" Ignis asked, offering a small wince as she wagged one finger at his use of the title.

"I'm still tired and achy, but I'm doing well. Well enough to travel. Our airship is fully ready for take of and I know the first secretary wants me out of her hair. What can we expect in Lucis."

"Very dry temperature and even drier people. The outposts have been struggling to stay afloat and there are more daemons roaming then they used to be, Lestallum has closed its doors to visitors that aren't hunters."

Luna felt the tension in Noctis's body and wished she could ease it somehow, instead focusing on Ignis.

"It's been a while since an Oracle walked those lands. I think the last one was my great-grandmother."

Ignis nodded, pushing his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose.

"Aranea and myself will take care of all the daemons we meet. It's not fair to ask of a single person to right everything that's wrong with our world."

The princess frowned, biting her tongue not to raise the fact Aranea Highwind was still technically her enemy. Noctis had already warned her not to risk that subject on her first meeting with Ignis. While extra reasonable, Ignis was so protective of his girlfriend, he could call off their alliance only to show where his loyalty lied. And it was true that the former dragoon had never directly hurt her or Noctis. Ignis proceeded with the planning, still noticing the emotional turmoil in Luna's face.

"I suggest landing near Cape Caem, I left the Regalia there so we could evade populated areas and keep a mode of transportation that would be comfortable."

Luna remembered the promise to ride chocobos and covered her stomach with one hand.

"Hopefully, I can do some driving and not dub you as our chauffeur," Noctis whispered, his right hand clenching around Luna's.

"You can take the wheel for the night drives. Lady Luna has been very quiet. I thought you would have more questions. Or even ask for proof of my good intentions."

She blinked, surprised, although it was true her army was renown for the rough selection process of new recruits.

"Noctis trusts you, Ignis. That's enough for me. Although I do have questions. How bad is the situation? What is being done to protect the civilians?"

The advisor heaved a sigh.

"It's everyone fending for themselves outside of Insomnia. Like it's always been." He glazed over Noctis's guilty expression, going on, "but while daemons are on the prowl, the blight outbreaks have diminished greatly over the years."

Luna couldn't hep the suspicion it meant the infection was a lot more virulent than it was in Tenebrae and Altissia.

"Are people disappearing?" she insisted.

Noctis squeezed her waist at that, unsure what she was on to, but Ignis nodded.

"Missing people notices everywhere, at an increasing rate for the past five years."

"How come I never heard of that?"

"What was the point if the politics remained in Insomnia?" Ignis observed, his resentment seeping through. "The empire took all our focus with their expanding war. The army cells still in Galhad and Lucis are doing their best to chip away at our troops. We can't deal with all the trouble at once, so I suggest you two focus on safely making it to Lucis as I gather more information on the capital."

"You can't ask us that after explaining how dire the situation is for my people!" Noctis protested.

"First, you should remember that you've almost singlehandedly stopped the empire's advance on both Tenebrae and Accordo. Asking you to deal with the leftovers would be quite ungrateful. Whatever you want to do, I'll be helping, but you need to remember one thing, Noctis. You don't owe Lucis anything."

"I trained all my life to look after them!" the exiled prince snapped.

Luna rubbed her ear to remind him how close they were, Noctis apologizing sheepishly and kissing her hair once. She leaned back into him, glad she could just bask in his warmth despite how serious this discussion was becoming.

"We're going to look out for us first, but our top priority is to free the King. If we need more Astrals on our side to do it, I'll reach out for Titan or Ramuh."

"Luna…!"

Noctis's hand reached for her lower-stomach, covering her fingers.

"I was already pregnant when we did the covenant with Leviathan and the baby has no after-effect from it."

"So you want some old dude to zap you two to death?!"

Ignis cleared his throat, effectively bringing their attention back to him.

"I think a subtler approach would be more advised to rescue the King. We lack information right now. I have a man working on that, but we will have to question Ravus and find a way into the crown city. And to find all the intel we can on Ardyn Izunia."

They agreed that it was the best way to go at things.

"I'm 16 weeks along now," Luna explained, "so it's pretty safe to travel for me."

Her belly was definitely starting to show, her curves all emphasized while her other symptoms hid under her gowns, her skin littered with rashes and zits despite all the cream she used. The soreness never fully leaving her and the days she spent in a complete haze would remain unnamed unless someone noticed how lost she was every now and then. Like when she'd stored her phone in the toaster, hastily retrieving it ten minutes later the other day.

Gods, was she glad Prompto hadn't seen that.

Speaking of the devil, the door opened, the gunman stepping in, a wet towel around his shoulders, empty water bottle unceremoniously dropped by the entrance as he kicked off his shoes.

"Phew, that was… Oh, hey! Didn't know we had company coming over," Prompto muttered as his pep from training receded.

Ignis rose to his feet, Noctis doing the same with a little more time, helping Luna off his lap.

"Prom, this is Ignis Scientia, my former advisor and one of my best friends. Iggy, this is Prompto Argentum, another of my best friends, and the guy who's been keeping me sane lately."

The introduction felt a bit forced, but Noctis was highly mindful of not selling out either of the guys. They were both his friends, there was nothing wrong with that, if anything, he was ready to call them both his best friends, but he had no idea how Ignis would react to Prompto's… "way" with words.

Both men exchanged wary glances, Ignis taking in the freckles, blond hair and clear sky-blue eyes. As a child, he'd walked in a cloning facility once and remembered well the dozens of younger kids, all wearing the same face with different levels of fear and/or anger. He offered his hand for a shake, Prompto taking it, tense and somehow curious. That tall, extra polished dude reminded me of someone, but he couldn't quite pin it down. Then he remembered.

"Hey, aren't you the dude that came to hand us some freaking coffee thingies?"

Ignis gaped at him for half a second, taken aback.

"Why yes, although it was iced coffee treats," he corrected the blond man.

"That was one of the sweetest things I've ever tasted in my life!" Prompto exclaimed, raising both fists above his head as the memory overwhelmed him. "Tell me you have some!"

"Not with me…"

"Darn it! Noctis said you were a kitchen god, and you don't even have a portable fridge on you? _Color_ _me disappointed_ ," Prompto added with a mock accent.

If Ignis was annoyed, he didn't let it show.

"I can definitely secure some. And some non-caffeinated ones for the Oracle."

"That would be very nice," Luna smiled. "Prompto, do you have to tease everyone you meet?"

"You weren't there when he gave us those treats, m'lady. He sounded like a posh robot. We had a riot for weeks just trying to pinpoint his accent!"

Ignis rolled his eyes, meeting Noctis encouraging smile and accepting to let it pass for now. He was mostly surprised to see how outgoing and excited Prompto could be when he remembered the look on the faces of those poor clones. They were all so quiet and… hollow. To think between themselves, they used to act like actual kids. It made him hope humanity wasn't entirely lost just yet.

After introducing Cindy to Ignis -the poor girl had been keeping to herself even though she'd reached a truce with Prompto- they agreed to leave for Lucis in one week's time. Ignis would come back in a few days with Aranea, since they were a package deal.

"If it proves to be a problem," he started, his eyes focusing on Luna.

She shook her head, making sure Noctis was too busy talking with Prompto to listen in on them.

"It won't be," Luna promised. "At least, I don't want it to be. I have welcomed people from the empire in my troops before, and I'm not asking from her -or you for that matter- that you join my cause. What matters to me right now is Noctis and his family."

"I think we're going to get along just fine, lady Luna."

"Drop the lady already!" the pregnant woman retorted, giving him a light punch in the arm.

"Hey, no brutalizing him!" Noctis interfered.

"When I can be normal, I'd rather not be treated like a princess," Luna defended herself.

…

Noctis finalized the papers and made the final payment on his rehab in the following two days, intent on spending time with Luna in the quiet space of their hotel suite. He wanted to dote on her, but she insisted on spoiling him first.

"My prince should have the very best and I have been taking you for granted from the very start," she explained.

"It didn't feel that way, but I'm fine with being spoiled every now and then. While you can still walk around without problem," he teased her, his hands going to her poking stomach.

Luna had started wearing baggy clothes to try and hide it, but there was no denying the truth. She did slap him when he got too entranced by her breasts, even though her hormones were telling her to use the enhanced advantages to trap him to their bed for the rest of the week. That would come in due time, but she wanted to make sure he was rested and relaxed despite all the dark thoughts in his mind.

"While we still have space, how about sharing a warm bath?"

Noctis perked up at the idea. They usually shared showers and were always rushed while doing it, but for once they had time to enjoy each other.

"You want a back massage, don't you?"

"I'll give you one in return," Luna promised.

They had only one scented candle and only one playlist to help set the mood, but with dimmed lights and her hands on him, Noctis could forget his worry and focus on the woman of his dreams. She was demanding as always, in her own playful and bold way, but he loved that.

Luna insisted on getting him naked first, dragging it out so she could cover his chest with wet kisses and tease him through his pants.

"That bath will get cold," he reminded her with a throaty voice, running his fingers through her hair as her hands stroked him steadily.

"You can reheat it with your magic."

"Let me take your clothes off," he pleaded with her.

She blushed, unable to voice how unsure she felt with her changing body. She didn't like her skin and its new blemishes, and all the red patches sticking where she used to be too pale.

"You might prefer me like this."

"I love you in every state of clothing. Especially the absence of them."

"Naughty prince."

"Like you're one to talk," he shot back, cupping one breast as he gripped her ass with his right hand, the light trembling of his fingers sending ideas up her nerves.

"Noct…"

"If we're not going to make it to the bath," he panted out. "I must at least lay you on something soft."

They could have walked back to their room, but Luna was too impatient, throwing the towels to the floor instead and motioning for him to lie down.

"Think you're soft enough for me?"

"Not in every place, but if you can bear with his man…"

"I can't bear without you," Luna confided, holding his strong hands to herself, greedy need written all over her flushed face.

He pulled her blouse off her shoulders, unable to hold back a groan as she rode him without much more warning, her skirt pooling all over him, the elastic band having slid up her belly. He struggled with her clothes and with his own sanity, taking off layer by layer until she was bare for him, and then his eyes were even heavier than his hands on her.

"I'm not too heavy?"

"You're perfect. Gods, Luna, you…" he thrusted into her, meeting her motion and gasping as her flesh clenched all around him. "I need a back in working order if we're going to raise that kid together."

Her nails dug into him, her movement turning so slow, the friction was more pain than bliss.

"No ifs about it, Noct."

"That was a joke," he huffed, stroking shivers all the way from her wrist to her shoulder, his hands tracing her collarbone, the swell of both breasts, their undersides and the dips of ribs right before that beautiful stomach rounding up as life grew inside. He saw the blemishes and evaded the angrier rashes, kissing a spot on her hand, raising himself on his good arm so he could guide her mouth to his.

"I love you. All of you."

"That's my line," she pretended to be offended, but her smile and teary eyes told him another story.

"Maybe you should say your line instead of being all high and mighty," Noctis teased her.

Then he kissed her for so long, breathing might have become obsolete, and Luna tried finding her voice again but he shifted them around, his arms wrapping around her, his right hand tentatively brushing against her stomach. He felt so caring and careful, she feared she would always melt in his embrace. She could still wrap her legs around his waist to keep him close, she gasped at how he slowly twisted her as he tried a different angle, reaching deeper inside her, letting instincts take over. She couldn't muffle an outright scream and desperately held on to him.

"I…"

"Luna…"

"I lo…

The air in her lungs was so sparse by now, she couldn't muster full words, cupping his face until he'd lean his forehead against hers, their eyes falling in and out of focus with the build up tension reaching a peak.

It felt messy and almost too rough for the stage they'd reached, but her urgency had always been contagious and Noctis couldn't get enough of the ethereal feeling she gave him. A magic happened when he was between her arms, between her legs, like pain bursting into pure joy. Her flesh shuddered as ecstasy rolled off her, their breath and sweat mingling just a little more.

He was careful of not laying his waist on her, especially mindful of her mid-section and she mewled a sigh of content, a cute sound he hadn't registered before.

"That was… different than usual," Noctis observed.

"Uh huh."

She tried to shuffle around, and he realized how her bare neck was directly touching the bathroom's tiles.

"You're not cold, are you?"

"Just… quite sore. I hope that bath is still warm."

It didn't take long for the bath to be warm again, Noctis helping her sitting in the large tub and settling himself behind her despite how difficult the maneuver proved to be.

"We might stay stuck," she laughed, leaning into him as soon as he made space for her.

"I have seen worse scenarios in my life."

They allowed each other to just lie in this cocoon of warmth for a bit, Noctis soon insisting on washing her thoroughly, giving her nipple an appreciative pinch or running his fingers along her folds, too happy to have her at his mercy.

"That does not count as washing…!" she protested as she started panting once more.

"Easy, unless you want Prompto and Cindy to hear?"

"That should be a turn off, but… I think you made me completely reckless."

" _I_ did that?!" he chuckled, ready to remind her just how reckless she already was when he'd met her. But Luna managed to bend her neck around and back far enough to search for his lips and he kissed her back, softly, gently, until the twisting around was too painful for the both of them.

"I promised you a massage, not back pain," he said, kissing her shoulder and guiding her head back forward.

"A back massage, not the all out pawing you've been doing."

"Complaining?"

"I… No, no, I wouldn't dream of it."

She sounded playful and Noctis couldn't help a few doubts lurking in the back of his mind. But the sigh of pleasure she let out when he touched her back and released a few knots comforted all the self-doubt that could remain.

She loved him, even when he was taking her voice away.

"Are we headed right to bed after this?" he asked her, massaging the tensed muscles of her shoulders.

"We can't, I had plans. I have a… gift for you."

He smiled, the surprise clear in his voice.

"A gift? It isn't even my birthday…"

"It doesn't have to be. It's not like you told me when your birthday was."

"August 30th."

He frowned as she gasped.

"I was born on the 4th of September. We're so close!"

"Wow. I can't believe I missed it by a few days."

He had arrived in Tenebrae by his own birthday, feeling beyond miserable and had met the princess on September 9. It made sense though, considering the fact a princess's birthday wasn't something that went by quietly, especially when she was the one governing her own kingdom.

"We can celebrate them both together this year. And don't believe today's gift will be the only one. I intend to spoil you as much as I can, my dear prince."

"I'll repay you a thousand times. With my own money, and my heart, and all the love this body can muster."

His hands threaten to light a new fire in her veins and Luna held them off, her smile so wide, her cheeks were bound to hurt soon.

"You haven't seen the gift yet!" she protested.

"I know I'll love it."

After struggling out of the bath and back to their room, Noctis helped her into a soft nightgown and slipped into some sweatpants, sitting on the bed with his eyes closed as instructed. The rustling and grunting he heard as she secured the package had him frowning.

"How heavy is that thing?" he mused.

"Nothing so heavy you would have to worry about me," she assured him, grunting a second time as she dropped a box on his lap.

It was heavier than everything he'd let her carry around in her state, but then again, Noctis had nearly panicked seeing her carrying a large pot of sauce the other day. He started opening his eyes, feeling her hands covering them almost instantly.

"Wait, I have a prelude gift."

"Okay."

He waited until she gave him the all-clear, bursting out laughing at the large box of condoms sitting on top of the real gift.

"Like we need them!"

"We're going to need them in a couple of months. I'm not aiming to repeat an unplanned pregnancy," she paused and took in the serious look Noctis was giving her, her shoulders lowering. "And that just took away most of the joke… Sorry."

"What? When I can tease Ignis by handing him a few of these as we set out on the trip?"

"Tell me you won't give any to Prompto at least."

"The poor guy is so frustrated, he has a right to them."

Luna had to admit, she pitied the gunman. He was trying to get over his impression of worthlessness, but the ordeal with Cindy had left him feeling awful.

"Enough about your friends, okay?"

She sat next to him on the bed, giving him an expectant look. Noctis undid the wrapping, wondering what could be hidden in a box that long and couldn't help a strangled gasp as the top of the casing came open and he saw the intricate details of it. It was a retractable sword, the blade shining with blue reflexions, its hilt made specifically for left-handed people. His breath caught in his throat, and Luna leaned her head against his shoulder, giving his right arm a squeeze.

"I know you'll master it in no time. And I wanted to be sure you knew that I trusted you, Noct. I don't want anyone other than you looking after my safety. Our safety."

"Oh Luna…"

He tried lifting it up, mindful of not breaking anything in the room as he deployed the full thing and marveled at how balanced it felt. It reminded him of the design for his engine blade. When he noticed the wing engraved on the handle, he couldn't help missing his home a little more. It also felt like a piece of his past had been restituted to him.

"When did you take the time to get it made? That's way too much, Lun, I…"

"Noctis, I love you," Luna cut him off. "Nothing can be too much. And I'm both a princess and the Oracle. So believe me, I can afford it," she paled despite her chuckle, reaching one hand up to brush her fingers against his cheek. His right hand rose, his fingers wrapping around her palm as she went on, "what I can't afford is seeing you beating yourself up with the idea you can't protect me. You keep me sane _and_ safe. I'll be your rock in Lucis, but with our baby growing in my flesh and my hormones out of whack, I'll need you."

Noctis's smile was very soft as he turned around to face her, dropping the retracted sword back in its case.

"You got me. For better and for worse, I'm yours. And you can bet I'll fight for you. Both of you."

He kissed her nose, their laugh shared and fully lighthearted this time. There was so much to keep at bay, so many walls and armies to overcome. Daemons. Daemons waited for them in Lucis and they were taking their unborn child right at the devils door. Pretending neither of them was scared would be lying, but Noctis had been forced to run away once and wouldn't run now that the choice was his.

"Just when I think I'm finally on par with your level of sweetness," Luna cursed.

"What?"

"You one-up me at every turn."

"Well, that's all you. Encouraging me to be better than I am."

He kissed her again, the case sitting in his lap dangerously leaning to the side.

"Careful not to dro…"

It fell in a violent bang and they heard surprised cries from the rest of the suite, Cindy and Prompto both rushing to their door.

"Everything okay, guys?!"

"Yeah, we're fine, nothing's broken," Noctis assured, looking annoyed by the interruption.

Luna stifled a laugh, pressing her hand to her mouth.

"How can you be so eager when we just…?"

"When you look at me with those eyes, I can't help it," he defended himself.

She blinked at him innocently, her doe eyes on purpose now.

"You mean those eyes?"

"Or maybe the ones down here," he teased, his face dipping for her cleavage.

"Noct!"

Her outraged tone brought Cindy back to the door.

"What's going on this time? I swear I'll mind my own business as soon as I know that our Luna is fine."

Lunafreya decided to finish the night between friends, with movies and popcorn, Noctis holding her close while she sat in his lap but keeping his hands mostly to himself. Cindy and Prompto were sharing their own couch and tentatively growing closer while not really touching yet. The hours wore on, the princess and the gunman falling asleep through the second movie, the first snoring against Noctis's shoulder while the second had found a pillow on Cindy's lap.

"Well, that's not very fair. How am I supposed to carry him to his room?" the mechanic asked as Noctis lifted Luna in his arms.

"Slap him awake and drag him there?" the exiled prince suggested.

Cindy shook her head at him, staying behind, her hands stroking the blond curls all over Prompto's head.

"Guess I'll be sleeping here tonight."

She didn't sound quite saddened about it.

To be continued…

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In next chapter, our two separate teams will finally be on the same continent. We should see Ravus and co again, how Luna and Aranea accept to tolerate each other and everything else I'll be able to cover lol You know reviews keep me going 😉


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